


be still my foolish heart, don't ruin this on me

by persephonerights, ThatHydrokinetic



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, kind of?, princess diaries 2 au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-27 19:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20765621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephonerights/pseuds/persephonerights, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHydrokinetic/pseuds/ThatHydrokinetic
Summary: Jason took her hand and then gets into a waltz position. He pulled her close to him and laid his head on hers. His hand on her back feels like they’ve been built to dance together. She laid her own hand on the back of his shoulder and pulled him even closer.The fog rolled across the bank as they danced and Jason couldn’t help but feel as if they were in a teen romance movie.Piper laughed wetly as they danced, “It’s almost as if we’re in a romcom. With the fog around us and our clandestine meetings. Or a trashy dime novel. The kind you buy as a joke.”Jason lifted his head and smiled down at her, looking into her suspiciously shiny eyes. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”It’s a Jasiper Princess Diaries 2 AU!! Written for the PJO/HOO Big Bang 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> persephonerights: this was a lot of fun to write but a lot of hard work too lol, Princess Diaries 2 is one of my fav romcoms! please enjoy and don't judge the characterization too much, this is my first PJO/HoO fic and i loved writing it with ThatHydrokinetic

Piper sat on a plane heading to her home, the home she was soon to be the queen of, Genovia. When she was a child she learned from her dad that her mom wrote in her diary every night, so she wouldn’t forget a thing. She started to keep track of everything she did so she could remember everything too. 

_ Dear Diary, _

_ Well it’s me, brand new college graduate/princess. Oh, I can’t believe it’s been five years since my mom (mom!) told me I was a princess. _

Piper paused her writing, remembering that fateful night five years ago. She reminded Aphrodite’s calm and serene face when she told Piper she was secretly a princess. And she remembered her shocked face when she had yelled, “Shut up!” completely shocked. And not entirely the happy princess her mom assumed she would be. 

She resumed her writing, _ Leo is still causing trouble, as always. But now he’s a graduate student at MIT. “How’s Percy?” You may ask remembering when I wrote about our singular date. _

_ Well, we decided not to do what everyone expected of us and remain just friends. There weren’t feelings there, but when you run in the same circles people expect certain things from you. _

Athena came up next to Piper, making her turn sharply. “Princess Piper. Look out the window. We’re here.” Piper turned to Athena and she nodded at her. Piper smiled at her and went back to her diary, she wanted to remember this moment forever. Coming to Olympus to be coronated by the end of the year. 

_ Here it is, my beautiful Olympus. Of course I’m completely excited to be going back, but I’m also a bit nervous. Mom will step down as Queen by the end of this year and I’ll be taking over. I know I studied diplomacy and political science at school but there’s no course in “Queen”, or “How to Run a Country”. But Mom is going to help me and I’ll take over when she thinks I’m ready. Of course I wonder...will I ever be ready? _

_ In the meantime I’m going to be living in a beautiful palace like a fairy tale, and eventually sit on the throne and rule the people of Olympus. Well, maybe Festus can help me. _

Piper looked over at her tabby cat, Festus, and scratched at his head. She was ready to get off this plane and into her new life, in Olympus. 

* * *

Piper took a breath as she stood in front of the doors that would soon open and lead her into the ball that was in her honor. The prodigal Princess had returned. Nerves had settled into the pit of her stomach and she tried to focus on all her Mom has taught her. Her mother wore royalty like she owned it. Piper was happy to rule - she loved her people and she hoped they loved her but she didn’t have much confidence in herself. But she knew it was time. 

The words of her mother made her way through the doors, “Thank you for being here today my good friends!” Piper could picture her mother’s serene face making a speech that must come natural to her, “Many of you will remember my daughter, Princess Piper. Will you please raise your glasses in celebration of Princess Piper’s 21st birthday.”

She faced the doors and straightened her back. The guard outside of them began reciting her titles, signalling that she would enter soon, “Presenting Her Royal Highness, Piper Aphrodite McLean Venus, Princess of Olympus!” The double doors swung open. 

She walked out, wearing her hair long and proud, like her Grandpa Tom would’ve wanted. The trumpets blared and everyone in the room raised their glasses, “To Princess Piper.” An excited smile graced her face. She knew she had trained for this moment. 

Piper began to wave to crowd excitedly, so excitedly her bracelet flew off and was caught by a guard. Piper felt her face flush and she covered her face with her hands. She was mortified. There was laughter all through the crowd and she saw the smile slightly slip off her mother’s face. The dread of messing up already settled into her gut. All she could think of was the girls who made fun of her in high school, the girls who made her dress to protect herself against the world. But she had gotten over that and here she was, standing in a gorgeous ball gown, with shiny jewelry, and a room excited to see what she was going to do. And not to make fun of her, to see her excel. 

Piper knew she had to salvage this situation. She plastered an awkward smile on her face and forced a laugh. She stuck her hand out and accepted the bracelet back from the guard who caught it. “Thank you,” she mouthed at him. Her awkward smile graced the crowd as she descended the stairs to begin her dancing with the crowd. 

Piper felt a little uncomfortable at the thought of having to dance with all the eligible men at the dance. She knew that nothing would come from any of this - but she still felt the pressure. As she got older, Piper felt more comfortable with herself, definitely, but there was still a lot of awkwardness there.

Aphrodite came and swept up Piper, introducing her to an attractive young man, introducing him as Conner Stoll. Piper didn’t consider herself as a shallow person but she did not mind dancing with him at all. Before she could even recognize what was happening, she was waltzing across the floor with him. “Hello. Where are you the lord of?” She asked shyly, unsure of what to say in this situation. He responded in a language that she didn’t understand but recognized as Greek. “Oh, I don’t speak Greek,” she said to him, hoping he would be able to speak English. He responded once again in Greek and she settled in for one confusing dance.

As soon as her dance with Conner was over Aphrodite returned and smiled at Piper, “So how was it?” 

Piper smiled in kind and sarcastically responded, “It would’ve been great if we spoke the same language.” 

Aphrodite laughed, clearly knowing that the man didn’t speak the same language as her daughter, “I figured I’d start you out with an easy one. Now let me introduce you to your next dance partner.” 

Soon Piper was dancing with a minor Lord from the mountains, while he counted each individual step of the Waltz. He was dragging her along only occasionally looking up to make eye contact. She looked around the room, and as much as she tried she was embarrassed to be dragged around awkwardly. She could see the Ladies and the other royalty laughing at her. It also wasn’t the most comfortable situation to find herself in, especially seeing that he kept stepping on her toes. As he apologized for the millionth time for stepping on her toes, she sighed and simply said, “It’s alright,” when in reality she wanted to go full New York on him right now. 

Soon, this dance was over and before her mom could find her Piper moved over to the refreshments table. On her way over she heard a woman with a Russian accent clearly talking about her, “Are all Americans so rude? All I got was a hello and goodbye.” Piper couldn’t help but sigh in disappointment. No matter what she did she would still be seen as an outsider. 

As soon as she got to the refreshments table Piper snuck a bite of her own birthday cake. She couldn’t wait to actually dig in. She didn’t care how un-Princesslike it was. She was hungry and wanted to eat her own birthday cake! Piper felt a finger poke her side, and a quiet, “I saw that!” She turned and saw Lady Hazel, she jumped for a hug and pulled her friend into her friend into her arms. 

“Thank God!” Piper told her, “I’ve not seen a single person even close to my age here.” 

Hazel laughed kindly, the princess of a French speaking country had a beautiful accent and beautiful golden hair that highlighted her gorgeous golden dress that seemed to make the whole room shine. The golden highlight on her dark cheekbones emphasized how sharp they were. As they made their way across the floor catching up and not paying attention to anyone else Piper soon felt herself step on someone’s foot. She quickly looked at them, “I’m sorry.” As soon as she saw the man in front of her she felt her jaw drop, he looked sharp in a suit with beautiful blue eyes hidden behind glasses and pushed back blonde hair. She couldn’t help but stutter out the phrase, “Are-are you alright?”

He smiled at her little reaction, “I can assure you I’m alright Your Highness,” Piper felt her smile slip a little at the title but he didn’t seem to notice. “These shoes were a little too big anyway.”

Piper smiled at him as Hazel pulled her away, whispering “He was cute!” She couldn’t help but nod in agreement, he _ was _ cute. They continued to make their way through the party, laughing at what the other was saying. However, soon they were caught by Aphrodite and Piper was sent back to dancing. 

Piper danced with crazy dancer after crazy dancer, one who high kicked at every opportunity, even when he shouldn’t have, a very old man, and a 12-year-old boy. Thank God she could feel someone coming up to interrupt this increasingly awkward dance. 

The man from before, the one with the glasses, interrupted the literal child she was dancing with, “Mind if I step in.”

Piper decided to answer for him, “No, not at all.” The man smiled and smoothly took his place and they began to dance. “Thank you for saving me. I’m not sure how much more I can take.”

The man’s face soured, “It’s an Olympian tradition that the Princess dance with all eligible men for her during her birthday ball.”

Piper was confused and a little angry. She knew it was a tradition. She didn’t have to like every single tradition of this country, just like she didn’t like all the traditions of the United States, “Call me old fashioned but I don’t find 12-year-olds eligible anything.” 

The man’s face seemed to that he knew he messed up when he said and blushed, “I only meant that you might not be finished for a little while.” Piper wasn’t sure she trusted his response but she didn’t feel like fighting with a stranger at her birthday party.

“Well then, lets dance,” she wiggled her eyebrows and laughed at his expression.

“Of course Your Highness.”

“Please,” she said smiling, “I prefer Piper. And what’s your name?”

He kindly smiled back, “Jason. Just Jason.” Piper was glad to have a name to put the face.

"I’m glad to see my clumsiness hasn’t affected your dancing. I’m glad someone here can dance,” she was not afraid to point out her own earlier comment about the horrible dancing.

He blushes again and Piper can’t help but laugh, “Well, thank you. But you can step on my foot anytime.”

She gasped, “Was that flirting? I’m shocked. What would tradition say?” 

He rolled his eyes, “Staring at a beautiful Princess, I find myself not caring.” 

It was Piper’s turn to blush. She began to respond but before she could the song ended, leaving them holding each other to no music. “I’m afraid the music not starting back up is my cue to move over to cutting the cake.” 

Jason smiled at her and she had to walk away, sadly. As she was walking away, her own inattentive behavior and the fact that the waiter was walking backwards to get where he needed to be, lead to her crown being knocked off her head. 

“Oh!” Piper startled and quickly turned around to see a man who caught her crown. He looked similar to Jason, but not really. He had curly blonde hair and was tall, clearly muscular. His eyes were blue but they weren’t kind, they were cold. Gave her chills almost. 

The man placed the crown back on her head, sneering almost, “You need to be careful Your Highness, someone might try and take this from you.” His eyes were cold and she didn’t trust him. 

“Well, that would suck wouldn’t it?” Piper responded, forgoing her manners, wanting him to know exactly how she felt.

“Yes, yes it would,” his smile was strained and Piper smiled back, satisfied with his reaction. 

Piper felt someone grab her arm and pull her away. It was her mom. She smiled at her and Aphrodite gave her a miniscule smile in response. “Excuse me sir, the cake needs to be cut and Your Grace needs to be present.” Aphrodite wrapper her arm in Piper’s, pulling her away in a polite way from the situation. 

Piper turned to Aphrodite, “That man is an _ ass _.”

Aphrodite smiled at her, “He is. But he’s also a very powerful man in Parliament. I won’t make you apologize to him but you might consider it.” 

Piper couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “Bet.” Aphrodite snorted after hearing her but coughed to cover it up. Her Queen Mother turned to the crowd gathered and nodded at a guard to silence them. 

He hit the ground twice and silence fell, “The feast shall begin!” She yelled and Piper turned to cut into the cake. Excited that this dance was coming to an end. She caught eyes with Jason across the floor and he smiled softly at her. She smiled back. 

* * *

Piper was lost in the news program in front of her when someone clears their throat behind her.

She scrambled to turn the TV off as she turned (like she probably should’ve done the moment they brought up their topic, she _ knew _ better than to listen to what gossip programs said about her) and saw a woman about her age, with blonde hair perfectly pulled back and startling grey eyes.

She reminded Piper, for a second, of the girls who used to bully her in school. Of the girls she used to be terribly jealous of—perfect hair, perfect bodies, white but perfectly tanned.

“Sorry,” Piper said after a moment. “I thought I was alone.”

The woman bowed her head slightly. “No, miss,” she said. “My name is Annabeth. I am at your service.”

She dipped into a curtsy and Piper grew flustered. “No, don’t—don’t curtsy like that.”

“Not like this?” Annabeth asked, and if Piper weren’t so flustered, she might’ve noticed the smile that curled at the edge of her lips. “How do you like it then?”

“No, I meant—” Piper tried. “Before was fine, I simply meant that you didn’t need to—”

Athena, then, swept into the room, demanding immediate attention as she always did. “Your mother bids you good morning, Princess. She’s in session with parliament.”

“Oh,” Piper said. The meeting started already?

“Her Majesty will meet you in one hour in the throne room,” Athena said, and then looked up from her clipboard, giving Piper’s outfit a slow look. “Will you be ready by then?”

Piper flushed. She _ knew _ that her shorts and baggy t-shirt weren’t exactly befitting what one might expect from a soon-to-be-queen, but, well, it was the twenty-first century, and as far as she was concerned, a princess should be allowed to wear whatever she wanted.

So she straightened her back and met Athena’s gaze. “Yes, I will.”

Athena stared her down a moment before bowing her head. “The throne room. An hour.”

* * *

“Sorry my mother is like that,” Annabeth said as she picked up after Piper as she swept through her clothing, trying to decide what would work best for everything she was in charge of that day.

Piper froze at the statement, then spun to face her. “The queen’s advisor is your _ mother?” _

She supposed the family resemblance was there. The blond hair, the sharp grey eyes. 

“We aren’t...exactly..._ close, _” Annabeth said, and then pursed her lips, turning away. “Is there anything else you’re needing help with, miss?”

Piper knew a subject change when she saw one. “Do you think the light grey or the blue would work better for greeting a visiting Lord?”

They decided on the light grey and Piper finished changing, but found herself with over half an hour before she needed to meet her mother. She figured anything was better than twiddling her thumbs, but she still felt so out of place here, and a part of her felt raw still after the encounter with Athena earlier. She’d asked Annabeth, a little unsteadily, if she thought it was alright for Piper to wander around the Palace a bit, to which she’d responded, “Well, it’s about to be _ your _ Palace, miss, so I’d expect so.”

“You have a point,” Piper responded, and proceeded to begin poking around.

She wasn’t even looking for the grate. While some part of her had been itching to be let in on a parliament meeting, she figured they’d probably be horribly boring, and besides, her mother had already promised to join her for her first one as queen, so she wouldn’t be alone. When she’d heard the voices coming from behind the painting, she figured it overlooked the kitchens, or something.

“Viscount Zeus, you have the floor,” someone said, low enough to be out of her line of sight, and she saw the man from last night, the one who’d caught her crown, stand. He looked just as shifty in the morning light as he had then.

“As we all know,” he began, and Piper couldn’t fight the urge to roll her eyes, “the 21st birthday of an heir to the Olympian bloodline is a date of great public importance. It signifies that this young person is of age to inherit the crown.”

“Indeed,” Piper could hear her mother say, from about the same place as the first voice. Piper was endlessly impressed by how well she could bite her tongue. “We are aware of this, Viscount.”

“The queen has already indicated that Princess Piper intends to learn more at her side before assuming the throne,” the first voice, who she assumed to be the judge, said.

“It is not Princess Piper to whom I was referring,” Zeus said. 

“What?” Piper said, then immediately covered her mouth with her hand when she realized she’d said it aloud. A few people sitting glanced around, but she let out a breath once it became obvious they didn’t suspect her.

“Whom were you referring to, then?” Queen Aphrodite said.

Zeus paused only long enough to draw himself taller. “As you may know, last July, on his 21st birthday, another Olympian of the royal bloodline became eligible for the throne.”

“Oh no,” Piper muttered to herself. 

“My nephew, Lord Grace.”

“I beg your pardon?” Queen Aphrodite asked.

“My nephew,” Zeus said, “is ready to take his place as Olympus’s rightful king.”

The courtroom exploded, and Piper covered her mouth once again to keep argument from escaping it. 

Her mother, however, handled it for her. “Shut up!”

The quiet was deafening, and it held for what felt like hours. “Pardon?” Zeus asked.

“I mean. . .” her mother began.

“‘Shut up’ doesn’t always mean, ‘shut up,’” another voice said. “In America, it’s like. . .’oh my.’ ‘Gee whiz.’ ‘Wow.’”

“‘Fantastique,’” another person contributed. Piper nearly sobbed with incredulous laughter; it was exactly like when her mother first told her she was a princess.

“But isn’t Princess Piper the first in line to ascend to the throne?” someone below said, now that the courtroom had finally settled, just in time for Piper to calm herself.

“Not yet,” Zeus said. “Olympian law states that a princess must marry before she ascends to the throne.”

If Piper hadn’t wanted to punch him before, she sure did now.

“We have never enforced that law,” her mother said, voice carrying cleanly from below. “A man doesn’t have to marry to be king.” She scoffed. “I mean, this is the 21st century, for gods’ sake.”

_ “Thank you,” _ Piper whispered.

“Olympus shall have no queen unless she be in matrimony,” one of the old men from the back said.

“Lord Notus?” The judge said.

“That has been the law of Olympus for the last few centuries,” Notus said. “I see no reason for why it should be changed.”

“Are you saying that my daughter, Princess Piper Aphrodite McLean Venus, is not qualified to rule simply because she is unmarried?”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” someone said, a voice Piper suspected might be Lady Demeter, one of the few other women in her mother’s court, “but some of us are not sure that Princess Piper is the best choice as a leader for our great nation.”

“Ooh!” someone said, probably one of the younger lords, and the courtroom exploded again. The judge and her mother, in their long-suffering voices, attempted to quiet them.

“Ladies, gentlemen, please,” the judge said. “May I suggest this: allow Princess Piper one year. In that time, she will learn the ways of the throne, and she will marry. If she does not, she will forfeit the throne of Olympus to young Lord Grace. How does that sound?”

“What? No,” Lord Zeus said at the same time as someone else said “Mm, perhaps longer,” at the same time as someone else said “No, no, that is far too much time.”

“Thirty days,” Lord Zeus said.

“Two months, at least,” the judge tried, but everyone else was already nodding.

“Thirty days?” someone asked.

Below her, her mother sighed. “Thirty days.”

* * *

“How can they expect me to fall in love in a month!” Piper said, pacing in front of her mother, who sat quietly on her throne.

Piper didn’t know how, but her mother had noticed her spying. Said her grandmother had put it there herself, and Piper was kidding herself if she thought Aphrodite had never used it.

“It’s like they’re trying to get me into an arranged marriage, or something!” Piper said.

“Oh, no,” Aphrodite said. “Of course not.”

“Well, that’s what it feels like!”

“To be quite honest, they’d rather see you step down than have to arrange a marriage for you.”

Piper shot her mom a glare. “Not helpful.”

“I know, dear.” She rose and wrapped her daughter in a hug. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them from implementing this.”

“I know you tried,” Piper said. “It’s just—they didn’t make _ you _do anything like this, did they?”

“They didn’t have to,” Aphrodite said. “I was arranged to marry a man, Hephaestus, from the time I could walk, and got the crown on the promise of that stability. I was already well-established by the time he broke it off.”

“And that’s when you married my dad,” Piper whispered.

“And that’s when I married your father.”

Piper hummed, holding a moment in her mother’s arms. They were rarely this physically affectionate, and she let herself take a second to soak it all in. She didn’t like the idea of an arranged marriage—her mother had always been a beacon for her, one of the first of the monarchy to marry for love and not convenience, and she’d grown up her entire life thinking she could just wait until the right person came along. Having those assumptions taken away had shaken her, but she’d figure it out. She always did.

A breath in, breath out. Time to pick herself back up.

Piper stepped away, holding her mother at arms’ length. “Okay,” she said. “What are my options?”

Queen Aphrodite pursed her lips. “I could try and arrange a marriage for you, but I am loathe to do so.”

“I agree,” Piper said. “We’ll make that worst-case. What else?”

“Well,” her mother said. “You could step down.”

Piper’s brain short-circuited. “What?”

“Piper,” her mother said, voice soft. “I know becoming Queen wasn’t something you wanted until recently. It’s been unfair of us to expect it of you. It’s unfair of us to expect this of you. If you want to abdicate, we’d all understand. No one would blame you.”

The thought hadn’t even occurred to Piper. Like, sure, she’d only known she was a princess for this last quarter of her life. Sixth grade Piper had wanted to become a vet. High school freshman Piper had wanted to be a journalist. College freshman Piper knew she was supposed to become a Queen.

“This is so unfair,” she whispered to the floor. 

Because at the core of it all, it _ scared her. _ Ruling a country. Moving away from America. Marrying a stranger. None of these were things normal twenty-two year-olds should have to deal with. Choosing a career, sure. Internships, sure. Moving away from home, probably. Even marriage, for some. But it wasn’t something Piper was even close to prepared for.

She wanted to call her dad, but she thought she could guess what he would say.

_ Courage is not the absence of fear, _ he’d tell her, just like he did when she was younger, _ but rather believing in something more important than fear. _

She closed her eyes, let a single tear roll out. Then she straightened her spine. 

“There are twelve generations of Venus’ on these walls,” Piper said, spinning to look at the portraits that decorated the throne room. “And I will be next.”

Her mother smiled at her, soft and fierce. 

“Is there an option number three?”

* * *

“You, my boy,” Zeus was saying as he poured himself another shot of scotch, “are a true-born Genovian. You deserve that throne.”

“I know,” Jason said, tossing another dart and watching it land just outside the bull’s-eye. He was making quite the lovely ring. “And I agree. But how are we going to do it? You said Parliament wouldn’t budge.”

Zeus stood from where he was sitting on the couch, and ambled purposefully towards his nephew. “Give me one of your darts,” he said, and Jason did.

“I’m going to show you a trick that I learned from an old Italian philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli,” Zeus said. “I can make this dart hit the bull's-eye every time.”

Jason crossed his arms. “Show me, then.”

Zeus rolled the dart between his fingers, and then rushed towards the target, taking a second to see the dart resting perfectly in the center. “There.”

Jason found himself laughing. “Sure, but that’s cheating.”

His uncle smiled. “You’ve got it.”

* * *

“The limousine is at the gates, Your Majesty,” Athena said, suddenly appearing at the entrance to Queen Aphrodite’s study. 

The Queen did not jump, but it was a near thing. She had no idea how Athena always moved so silently. She did nod at her advisor though, and stood to wave Ares in.

“The viscount is not staying,” Aphrodite told Athena, who would need to check on the arrangements. “Just the nephew.”

Athena nodded at her and vanished.

“Now Ares,” she said, turning back to face him. His get-up was just as black as ever. “I want you to protect him. Keep your eye on him at all times.”

Ares raised an eyebrow. “Expecting trouble, your Highness?”

She adjusted her gloves. “Not expecting it, but wary of it.”

Then Piper appeared in the doorway behind him, hand raised as if to knock, though she dropped it at the sight of them. “Oh, hello, Ares.”

“Princess,” he said, bowing his head slightly.

“Am I interrupting?” she asked.

“Not at all,” Aphrodite said. “Did you need something?”

Piper spun in a small circle, showing her mother the pale yellow pantsuit she was wearing. “Is this all right to welcome the viscount and his nephew?”

Aphrodite smiled. “Very appropriate. And pretty.”

Piper smiled, and they began walking to the parlor, where they were supposed to greet their guests. Piper was very put together, but Aphrodite watched as she began pulling on the ends of her hair. Seeing her mother’s eyes watching her, she lowered her hands, but said, “I can’t believe parliament invited the guy who’s trying to steal the throne to stay with us at the palace.”

“Oh, parliament didn’t invite him,” Aphrodite said. “I did.”

The expression on her daughter’s face was worth it. “What?”

“I offered to have him hung by his toes in our courtyard,” Ares said.

“Excuse me?” Aphrodite said.

“Yeah, what about Ares’ suggestion, huh?” Piper said, and they fistbumped.

“No,” Aphrodite said. “If there’s any mischief going on, I want it right under my nose.”

“I just. . .” Piper said, and trailed off. At her mother’s raised eyebrow, she continued with, “I don’t want to be nice to this guy, you know? Him or his nephew. He’s rude, and arrogant, and self-centered. . .”

“Well, have you met him?”

“Not the nephew, no,” Piper admitted. 

“Neither have I.”

“But...he has to be, right? Or, well, he probably is. I mean, between his uncle, and the fact that...now, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, he wants to be king of Olympus? Like, what’s that about?”

Her mother waved away her fears, but Ares was nodding like he agreed with her. Her mother, seeing his nod, whacked his arm. “Well, whatever he is, we will be charm itself.”

They could see, now shapes shifting beyond the open doorway, even hear some voices drifting up from where the viscount and his nephew were no doubt being escorted from their vehicle. Even though she couldn’t hear what he was saying, Piper’s nose preemptively wrinkled in distaste at whatever it was Zeus was no doubt complaining about.

“We will present ourselves with grace and poise,” her mother continued.

One of the footmen entered the room they were gathered in and bowed. “Announcing Viscount Zeus and Lord Grace.”

Zeus entered first, viewing them all with the same thinly-veiled disdain he’d had at the ball earlier that week. “Your Highness,” he said, bowing deeply at her mother’s feet.

“Zeus,” Aphrodite greeted, but Piper’s eyes were already on the figure entering the room, sunlight from the high windows catching on his hair and framing a halo around his face, something Piper would’ve noticed if she wasn’t already seeing red.

“Ma’am,” he said, “may I introduce my nephew, Lord Jason Grace.”

She could hear them distantly, as if they were coming through a radio, or positioned in another room—her mother greeting him, him responding with things like “Thank you _ so _ much for your hospitality”—but it was all she could do to breathe through her nose.

“Piper,” she heard her mother say, her voice tighter than normal, and it occurred to Piper that this was probably not the first time she had said it. “Would you care to welcome our guest?”

Piper wasn’t even sure why she was so angry. She’d sort it out later, when her mind was clearer, when she wasn’t under the pressure of having to look perfect and act perfect and _ be _perfect—for now, all she could do was bow her head slightly and say “Lord Jason” pleasantly before shifting forward, placing all her weight onto her right foot as she stepped right on top of his.

He folded nearly in half as he stumbled away from her, knocking into his uncle, and she made sure she looked him dead in the eye as she said, “Oh, sorry!” with as much false apology as she could muster.

Servants were scrambling to help Lord Jason, and her mother was already trying to cover her social faux pas with what excuses she could muster, but Piper was walking out the door, sharing a quiet high-five with Ares as she passed him.

* * *

“Would you care to explain what was going on out there?” her mother asked. If a Queen could look mad, Piper thought Aphrodite was as close as she’d seen.

“Sorry,” Piper said. She stuck another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, avoiding her mother’s gaze.

“I mean, really, Piper! I had _ just _told you that we were going to be graceful about this!”

“I know, it’s just—” Now, after the fact, it felt childish. She _ knew _ the better thing to do would have been to smile at him through it all, maybe offer a quick-witted and undercutting response to something he said. But in the moment, she could imagine nothing more satisfying, and so had allowed herself that moment of selfishness. Now, she cleared her throat. “I, actually, have met Lord Grace. Before.”

“Oh?” her mother said, trying to cover up her embarrassed anger.

“Yeah,” Piper said. She wasn’t crying, but she felt it all at the back of her skull, her own embarrassment welling up. “At the ball. I didn’t know who he was, that he was noble, that he was Lord Grace, and I, you know, we. . .”

She trailed off, and her mother has calmed, now, maybe realizing that Piper wasn’t just being silly. “We dance, and I flirted, and now I feel so stupid.”

“I see,” her mother said, and Piper did her best to calm herself. Queen Aphrodite wasn’t sure what to do with herself, as inexperienced as she was with dealing with her daughter. She’d been trying, and it had gotten better recently, but at the end of the day, she hadn’t had a daughter until Piper was sixteen. Even then, they’d spent no more than a few months at a time with each other.

“You can be disappointed in me, it’s okay,” Piper whispered, and her mother pulled her into a quick hug.

“No,” she said. “No. Though I must say, as your queen, I absolutely cannot condone that. As your mother, though. . .” She raised her fist and shook it, one of those rare moments where she looked more human than queen, and Piper couldn’t stop her huff of laughter. “Right on.”

And now she couldn’t stop the laughter as it pealed out of her, all of the stress from the past few hours building up and exploding. Her mother stood their, laugher present in her eyes, as she watched the princess let it all out as best she could. When she straightened and wiped the tears from beneath her eyes, Aphrodite said, “Now, if you’re finished, I have something to show you.”

Piper smiled back at her, but picked up the pint of ice cream she’d been sullenly eating from. “Uh. . .”

“Oh, right,” Aphrodite said. “I think you can just leave that there.”

“Uh...yeah. . .” she said, setting it down. “Thank you,” she said to the girl who rushed forward to pick it up, simultaneously embarrassed that she had no idea who she was and knowing full well there was no way for her to have every staff member’s name memorized.

Her mother was already walking, and Piper had to rush to catch up to her. “Your rooms are finally finished,” she was saying, and Piper suddenly felt a rush of excitement. Not that she was _ upset _ about having to take a guest suite in the castle, because they were still twice as big as her apartment with her dad back in New York, but she couldn’t deny being pumped to finally get to properly move in.

“They should have been ready for you when you had arrived,” Aphrodite said, rounding another corner, “but, unfortunately, we asked Dionysus’ cousin to do the bathroom, and well. . .” she trailed off, turning to face her daughter just outside the double doors. “It’s a good lesson. Nepotism belongs in the arts, not in plumbing.

“This,” she said, throwing the doors open, “is your very own suite.”

Piper knew, in theory, that her rooms would be large. Her mother had called it a ‘suite,’ for gods’ sakes. But even that couldn’t prepare her for the sheer size of it all. 

There was a sitting area in the first room, with two couches pushed in an L shape that faced a widescreen TV. Floral arrangements covered small tables along the corners of the room, and the walls, in contrast with the strange pink color that was in most of the rooms were painted a soft gray.

Then a pair of sliding doors took her into what must’ve been her bedroom, although it was hard to believe considering she could’ve fit three college dorm rooms into the space. 

There was a plush, bigger than a king size bed in the middle of the room. The comforter was blue and it looked as if there were a million throw pillows on the bed. A rug that matched the colors of the wall covered almost the entire floor. Festus ran immediately for his climb toy that seemed to take up half the far wall.

Piper slowly stepped further into the room, trying to take it all in. She had a new desk and laptop, with a kitten calendar hanging above it. It was absolutely amazing and it was hard to take it all in. 

“Now,” Aphrodite said, something like a smile on her lips. “For the best surprise of all.”

The closets were huge. Rows upon rows of gowns and suits and even things that fit Piper’s definition of casualwear. She reached a hand out just to feel the tulle as it passed through her fingers. “This is all amazing, mom, but. . .” She turned to the side, just enough for her mother to see her smile. “Kind of a letdown after the jewels, I’m not gonna lie—”

And then someone was attacking her, and screaming, and then she recognized those arms and those curls and that screech for something that cause a lot less alarm.

“Oh my _ god!” _ she yelled, and threw her arms around what could only be her best friend.

“Right!” Leo yelled back at her, and then let go, hitting the floor with a thud. 

“You’re here!” Piper said. 

“I know!” Leo said, throwing his arms in the air.

“You’re in Genovia!”

“I know!”

“In my closet!” 

He was laughing at her, now, she could tell, but the happiness and relief at seeing him were so sharp that she couldn’t bring herself to care. “I’m in your closet!”

She hugged him again, pulling him tight against her chest. “I’m so glad to see you,” Piper said, and she definitely wasn’t crying, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to, at least a little.

“I’m so glad to see you too,” he said into her collarbone.

“I think I’m going to step out,” she heard her mother say behind her. “I’ll see you both at dinner.”

They both gave her waves, as best as they could with their death grips on each other. After what was probably several minutes, they realized that they both needed a bit of breath, and let go, still staying close enough that Piper could keep a firm grip on his arm, just to make sure he wasn’t her imagination.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said.

“I could tell,” he interjected, and she rolled her eyes. 

“When did your flight get in?”

“About an hour ago,” he said. “I would’ve gone right to you, but they said you were talking to your mom.”

“Yeah, about that,” Piper said, because as much as she’d rather not think about it now, she had to tell _ someone _. “I’m getting married.”

His eyes almost popped out of his head. “What? To who?”

Piper smiled so that she wouldn’t cry. “I don’t know.”


	2. Chapter 2

_ The Only Men Worth Piper’s Time _ was the title of the powerpoint presentation, and Piper figured that Leo must’ve had some hand in creating it. 

Annabeth was handing them each a thick stack of folders. They all stared at them a little confused, but Aphrodite was the first to ask, “What’s this?”

Annabeth bowed her head slightly as she turned towards the queen. “You asked me to create a list of all those eligible for the princess’ hand, Your Majesty.”

“I recall,” Aphrodite said. “I was just wondering about the...considerable reports you are passing around.”

“Well,” Annabeth said, “the powerpoint gives you a brief overview of all the candidates. The folders contain everything I could find on them, from their credit scores to their dental records to that thing they posted on their Instagrams in middle school and deleted four days later.”

Piper opened one of the files on her lap and began to skim through the information, seeing that, yeah, Annabeth had delivered. “Annabeth,” she said, “didn’t my mother ask you to do this _ yesterday?” _

“Yes, My Lady.”

“How did you possibly find this much info on everyone in, like, twelve hours?”

She could’ve sworn the corner of her maid’s lip quirked up. “I’m quite good at allocating my resources, My Lady.”

Leo was quietly losing it beside her, and she couldn’t blame him. She could tell her mom was impressed and maybe a little intimidated, but she did a good job of not showing it. “Well,” Aphrodite said, “let’s get started, shall we?”

The first slide showed a guy around Piper’s age, which was a relief. The was handsome enough, but there was something in his gaze or in his stance that rubbed her the wrong way.

“This is. . .” Annabeth trailed off as she searched through her files. “Baron Pollux, son of Dionysus.”

“No, not appropriate,” Aphrodite said immediately. “His father’s an alcoholic. We’d never be able to have them over.”

Annabeth crossed something out on one of her sheets, then clicked to the next slide.

“That’s—” Annabeth started, but Piper was nearly out of her chair before she could even finish.

“Oh, I accept,” she said.

She thought her mother might be laughing at her, but she also didn’t miss the way Aphrodite’s eyes trailed down the arms of the man in the picture. “Prince Adonis,” she said. “He’s not eligible, because he’s in line for his own crown.”

“Oh,” Piper said, sitting again. “Then why is he in the powerpoint?”

“I didn’t put him there,” Annabeth said, and Piper craned her neck to see her frowning.

“Yeah, that’s on me,” Leo said, next to her. “I just like looking at him.”

“Me too,” said Aphrodite, and Piper faked vomiting at hearing her _ mother _ say that. “You can go to the next.”

“Will Solace of Ortygia,” Annabeth said.

He looked a little on the young side, but that might’ve just been the softness in his features. “He looks nice,” she said.

“He plays the _ harp,” _ Leo mumbled, flipping through Will’s folder.

“No title, but a good family,” Aphrodite said.

“What about the title ‘husband’?” Piper joked, elbowing Leo’s side.

“Yeah, I guess he’s cute,” Leo agreed.

“Yes,” Aphrodite said. “His boyfriend thinks he’s handsome also.”

“Good for him,” Piper and Leo said at the same time. Annabeth, behind them, crossed another name off her list.

“Do make a note to put him on all the invitation lists,” Aphrodite said. “I’ve heard you really _ must _ see his family in performance.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Annabeth said.

They had to spend the next hour there, flipping through the powerpoint and their folders stacked with information, debating guy after guy. They were well aware of their narrow options, but there always seemed to be _ something _. They were either too old, or too young, or had some kind of stain on their record that they weren’t willing to budge against.

“Maybe we should just go back to that Pollux guy,” Piper said, rubbing her forehead. “Like, I get that his father maybe isn’t the best—”

“You also don’t speak the same language,” Annabeth interjected, and then flushed as she realized she’d just interrupted the future Queen of her country. Piper was doing her best to assure Annabeth it was nothing, but then Leo was on his feet beside her.

“No, you know what?” Leo said. “You’re Piper _ fucking _ McLean, princess of an _ entire country. _ You deserve better than to settle. There has to be _ some _ rich boy in this entire world who deserves you.”

He was working himself close to a fury, Piper could see, his arms waving in the air. She stood, putting a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him, when her mother spoke.

“Quite frankly, I agree with him,” Aphrodite said. “We need someone titled, someone who can help you run a country without ego getting in the way.”

“He should be attractive,” Leo said, nodding, and Piper jabbed an elbow at his ribs. 

“Smart,” Annabeth added absently, flicking through her files.

“But not arrogant,” Aphrodite said. “Someone with _ compassion.” _

The powerpoint slide changed and Annabeth said, “Someone like him?”

Piper’s jaw dropped as she looked at the screen.

_ “Yes, _” Aphrodite said. “Someone very much like him.”

Beside her, Leo made a noise, just now recognizing what Piper had from the start. “Is he—”

Piper nodded.

Meanwhile, Aphrodite seemed to not have noticed their crisis. “It’s honestly a wonder I didn’t think of him before. He was raised in the states as well, Piper. He was only a few years younger than you when he learned of his title. He should be able to relate to you, Piper.”

_ “Relate _ to me?” Piper asked, voice strangled. “I grew _ up _ with him.”

Her mother froze, just now turning to see both Piper and Leo losing their minds. “How do you mean?”

“I mean—” Piper cut herself off, completely unsure of how to handle the situation. Percy Jackson smiled crookedly at her from his picture on the screen. “I broke his nose when we were seven.”

“Well,” Annabeth said, file open in front of her. “His uncle is King Hades, but he’s got heirs of his own. His land is in Eastern Europe, almost in a former Soviet. He qualified for the Olympics in swimming, he rides motorcycles, and helped reform the foster care system in his uncle’s country.”

  
“Sure, but can we circle back to the fact that I went to _ middle school _ with this guy?” Piper said. “And now he’s a _ duke?”_

“Yeah, and he had one hell of a glo up,” Leo muttered beside her. “Also, to be fair, you went from social outcast to princess in like, two days.”

“So far, he has been the best option,” Aphrodite said, turning kind eyes to Piper, who sat with an  _ omph _ back onto her bean bag. “But—he will not be the only one, Piper.”

Her mother was right, but—this seemed lucky, somehow. As weird and hilarious and embarrassing as it was—the idea that she’d be marrying someone who’d grown up one floor below her in their New York apartment building, who she’d grown up with, kicking and screaming, but who she hadn’t seen since he moved away when they were twelve. Percy was someone who she’d considered a friend, once, and could again.

More importantly, she wouldn’t be putting her future in the hands of a total stranger.

“No,” she said. “He’s perfect.”

* * *

“Here we are, in the breezy seashore village of Anogia,” Drew said, giving the camera her best grin. 

They were only one of a half dozen reporter sets allowed here today, and she wasn’t about to spoil what was probably her biggest shot yet. It was as hard to be a woman in media as it was to be a woman everywhere else, and she held onto her position with nails as sharp and red as her smile.

“Our two lovers have perfect weather for their first public outing,” she said, stepping aside as her cameraman, Matthew, focused in on the couple, where they were carefully picking their way across the sand. “Percy’s parents, Sally and Poseidon, have joined them for lunch this afternoon.”

Privately, Drew thought this was more interesting than whatever media placation the princess was currently pulling. Nobody knew  _ much _ about the duke’s family life, seeing as his lands were in Acheron and not Olympusand his family drama had long blown past, but she’d done enough digging to know that seeing his mother and father in one place was quite interesting indeed. That wasn’t the story she was here to cover, though, so she bit her tongue and turned her attention forcibly back to the young couple. 

“Must be rather hard to get to know each other this way.” She wasn’t sure if she meant the media, the purposeful publicity, or the fact that his parents had decided to join them, but she supposed it was all true.

They looked quite good together, if she was speaking honestly. She knew they were close in age, and rumor had it that they’d somehow known each other in childhood. The princess was oddly tall, something one might consider unwieldy for a queen, but the duke was just tall enough to balance her out without dwarfing her. He seemed easygoing and cheerful where she was reserved, unused to having her life so exposed. 

As if hearing her thoughts, Piper raised a hand in a wave. “Oh, they’re waving at us!” she said, pretending she wasn’t totally baffled. It wasn’t protocol to  _ acknowledge _ the media you invited to your date. Then again, she wasn’t convinced anyone had told the princess any protocol at all.

The most eventful thing that happened throughout the rest of the “date” was a quick splashing match that sparked up between the two, one she swore Percy’s mother took brief part in. It had left them both soaked but filled with what might have been honest laughter, and she suddenly felt embarrassment for looking in on what should’ve been a private moment.

  
Besides, didn’t this country have anything more  _ important _ to report on?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy squinted at Piper when he she continued to look at him, with that questioning look on her face. She leaned a little closer to him and thought, oh, the press is watching, that’s why Annabeth was glaring at me for flirting (?) with her. 
> 
> Wait, was his next thought, is she going to kiss me? He wasn’t sure if he or she was ready for that. Piper shares a conspirial smile with him, “Annabeth has been checking you out this entire game.” Piper was saying it with a glint in her eyes, she leaned forward and Percy tried to think of why she was acting like she was flirting with him if she was telling him that Annabeth was flirting with him.

Percy was beginning to be  _ very _ grateful that he and Piper had known each other for so long. He had no idea if he would be able to play this game if it wasn’t someone he had known as well. Percy and Piper had been staging dates for publicity for about two weeks now and people truly believed they were falling in love. 

Percy knew he and Piper were never going to fall in love. When he was a kid his mom used to say to him that loyalty was one of the most important things a person could have. That he and his mom were always going to take care of each other. And when he was a kid Piper was a part of that group. Then he moved away at 12 and now he was loyal to a whole country of people. He understood that being loyal to that whole country of people meant he would marry Piper and help her rule Olympus. 

Today, he and Piper were playing badminton in a carefully selected area of the Palace courtyard. Piper, honestly, sucked so bad at badminton. She was one of the first to admit it and Percy had to agree. So neither of them tried very hard seeing as their only audience was Ares (who he had recently learned was Queen Aphrodite’s guard and kind of in love with her? And really wants to kick Percy’s ass?), Leo (Piper’s best friend and weird confidant), and Annabeth (Piper’s hot lady-in-waiting). 

Soon though, the press would arrive, so Percy knew he and Piper would have to step it up. He raised his eyebrows to her and began to actually put an effort in. The look of surprise on Piper’s face made Percy laugh, he would admit that he wasn’t the most athletic kid and he had gotten much stronger since he had moved to his Uncle’s country. He started swimming and he got so good he was an Olympic hopeful. But, as always, life had other plans. 

Piper and he kept going in the game. Her moves getting more outrageous and more ridiculous just to make Percy laugh. It was working. Piper jumped and spiked the shuttlecock (HA), and when she fell she really fell. Percy could see on her face that she was in pain and he immediately ran over to her. He saw Ares and Annabeth make moves to run for Piper but Leo blocked both of them before they could reach her. Percy heard him say, “Bro we gotta let them reconnect in their own way.” 

Percy rolled his eyes at Leo and bent down to check on Piper. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him down closer to her. Shocked, he falls practically on top of her. She laughs and he can’t help but join her. He falls back on his ass and looks and Piper and they just laugh at each other.

Through her laughter Piper makes a pained sound. “Shit, I actually hurt my ankle.” 

Percy startles, “Oh, yeah,” he turns to see if there was anything he could do and Annabeth is already there, handing him a pack of ice. He can’t help but smile at her, taking in her curly blonde hair and beautiful grey eyes. “Thanks,” he knows that the attraction and curiosity he feels towards Annabeth can’t go anywhere. He was going to be married to Piper before the end of the month. 

He took the ice pack from Annabeth and when their hands touched he felt something - as stupid as it felt. He couldn’t help but pull his hand back, feeling absolutely stupid. His “troublemaker smile” still in place he turned back to Piper and took a deep breath, dropping the ice pack on her ankle and then immediately screwing his face up together. He kept his eyes closed with the awkward expression on his face until he felt Annabeth walk away.

He opened them and made eye contact with a smirking Piper. Percy felt his face get hot and he decided to busy himself with looking at Piper’s ankle, checking if it had swollen at all. He could feel Piper staring at the side of his head, with laughter, but on the other side he could feel Annabeth, glaring(?) at the side of his head. 

He turned back to make eye contact like Piper and she raised her eyebrows at him. The look and the way it made him feel reminded him of being a teenager, being caught with his friend Rachel. They weren’t doing anything but his mom’s facial expression and Rachel’s blush made him feel like they had been caught doing something inappropriate. 

Percy squinted at Piper when he she continued to look at him, with that questioning look on her face. She leaned a little closer to him and thought,  _ oh, the press is watching, that’s why Annabeth was glaring at me for flirting (?) with her.  _

  
_ Wait,  _ was his next thought,  _ is she going to kiss me? _ He wasn’t sure if he or she was ready for that. Piper shares a conspirial smile with him, “Annabeth has been checking you out this entire game.” Piper was saying it with a glint in her eyes, she leaned forward and Percy tried to think of why she was acting like she was flirting with him if she was telling him that Annabeth was flirting with him.

People thought Percy was stupid just because he couldn’t read well, or focus for very long. But Percy wasn’t dumb, and he saw what Piper was doing after thinking for a few more seconds. She was going to gossip about how Annabeth felt about him while flirting for the cameras there. So, he gave her a warning look, “I’m going to pick you up and move you to a seat over there.” Piper raised her eyebrows and made the most hilarious noise when he followed through with his words.

Piper laughed and grabbed onto his shoulders. He swung her around and moved her onto a seat that had already been set out for her. Oh the benefits of being a Princess he guessed. Percy could see bright, sudden lights from the gate surrounding the Palace and he knew that photos of him lifting up Piper to move her would be all over the news the next day. 

She was sitting and he crouched down in front of her, checking on her ankle. Piper bent over and whispered into his ear, “I approve,” she said, flicking her eyes over to Annabeth. He followed her eyes and smiled at the blonde girl who saw still glaring at him. 

* * *

Piper had woken up with a plan. She was going to take a walk with Percy, and Annabeth would be their chaperone. Piper may have been stuck in this situation but that didn’t mean Percy had to be sad and stuck with her. She saw how Annabeth was checking Percy out and she saw the goofy smile that Percy had given Annabeth. 

Piper and Percy’s teachers had always seen them as troublemakers - and that may have been true - but Percy got way too much credit for their plans. She had masterminded at least half of them. And today she was masterminding a new scheme. 

Piper had thrown on an older pair of jeans and a button-up shirt, she was still getting used to this whole dressing like a Princess thing and wasn’t exactly good at it. She was already walking with Percy through the gardens, Annabeth and Ares tailing behind them. Piper still hadn’t figured out why Ares hated Percy so much but he did.

Piper had wrapped her hand around Percy’s offered arm. “You know,” he started, “this could be a lot worse. We could both be marrying, like, ugly people.” Piper couldn’t help but laugh at what Percy had said. 

She turned to him and raised her eyebrows with a smile, “Speaking of not ugly people,” Piper dramatically spun around to face Annabeth, still holding onto Percy’s arm, “Walk with us Annabeth? Please?” 

In a sort of funny almost movie-esque way, Percy and Annabeth stopped in their tracks at the exact same time. Annabeth stumbled over her words, “I - my Royal Highness, I can’t -”

Piper held up a hand to stop her from continuing, “I insist.” She elbowed Percy in the side and nodded to his other arm. He quickly offered it up for Annabeth to take hold of. Piper had strategically chosen a spot in the gardens where no press or cameras could see them. 

Annabeth had graciously accepted the arm that Percy offered, looking him head on. At Piper’s accepting nod she smiled at Percy. 

Piper fell back, dropping Percy’s arm. They turned to look at her in shock and she winked at them, “There are no cameras here. And I see the connection.” She could feel her face change into something more neutral, something she called her Queen face, “Besides, me and Percy will have plenty of time to talk later.” 

At that, she turned and walked towards Ares. She took Annabeth’s place beside them and motioned for Percy and Annabeth to keep walking. They slowly turned and continued. As they walk Piper can hear Annabeth lowly say, “You’re drooling.” 

Piper shared a look with Ares that said, yes, they both heard that, and yes, she really did say it. She snorted and Ares laughed a little. They continued walking in the secluded area of the gardens. Where no one would be able to see them.

Soon, their walk came to an end and Annabeth left with Ares, leaving Percy and Piper alone. She stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the Palace. Percy turned to her solemnly, “Thank you,” he said. “But I can’t stay with Annabeth.” 

“Why? You all obviously mesh well.”

“Because Pipes,” he said softly, “we’re about to be husband and wife and I won’t do that to you. We’ve seen what this kind of thing does to people. And I won’t hurt you like that,” he smiled softly and shrugged, “I like you too much.” 

Piper smiled back at him with tears in her eyes, barely able to choke out the words, “Thank you Percy.” He smiled and turned and walked away. To get in his town car and drive away while she thought that she might not love him but this arranged marriage wouldn’t be so bad. 

* * *

It had been two days since the walk in the gardens and Piper had been spending more time with Percy ever since. They hung out for at least a little while everyday since then, usually without Annabeth. Piper had felt bad for what happened. She remembered the apology she made to Annabeth yesterday. 

_ Annabeth had come to help her pick out her clothes for the day. Annabeth had an eye for what was considered okay to wear in public for a royal. She had grown up in this culture and environment. She had a good head on her shoulders and was not afraid to speak her mind to Piper when Piper asked her opinions.  _

_ When she was dressed she turned to Annabeth. Her chest was tight with anxiety as she looked over to Annabeth, “I’m really sorry. For setting you and Percy up. If I’d had known he’d be so honorable to me I wouldn’t’ve done it.” _

_ Annabeth gave Piper a strained smile. Her shoulders were tight but she held herself high. “If he wasn’t loyal to you he would be a real Seaweed Brain.” _

Now, she was sitting next to Percy on a bench as public as could be. She had a sneaking suspicion of what was coming but she was prepared to act surprised. Her and Percy had been “courting” for a week now. She had three more weeks to marry and become Queen. It’s time for a proposal. 

She turns to Percy and smiles her press smile. She hated her press smile and so did Percy. They had both perfected their public smiles but they had honestly complained about them together more than once. Percy returns her press smile with her own and slowly gets down on one knee, pulling a seashell from behind him. He tilted it over and a ring fell out. 

Piper faked a surprised gasp and looked up at Percy. She could feel forced tears pool in her eyes. Percy smiled up at her as he held out the ring, “Piper, will you marry me?” 

“Yes!” she yelled, playing her part, “Of course I’ll marry you!” She threw herself into Percy’s arms and they fell into the grass, laughing. While they lay there in the grass he slipped the ring on her finger. She sat up and held her in the sun, then turning it to face the press at the gates, wriggling her fingers. 

She heard Percy laughing from where he was still laying down, “Jesus Piper, way to get us more media coverage.” 

Piper tried to respond without moving her mouth, knowing they can read lips, “At least they’ll focus on me essentially mocking them instead of how quick our wedding is going to be.”

She turned to smile at him and he said, “Piper, you’re still the charmer everyone thought you were when we were kids.” 

She paused and for a second it all felt normal. Laughing in the sun with her friend, laying in the grass while making jokes between the two of them. But she knew it wasn’t normal. And it never would be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper had given him a look when she said the final two words. As if she could see straight through him. She began to walk up the staircase mirroring the one he was still standing on. They began to walk up opposite staircases at the same pace. Piper paused and looked to him, “Is there something you want to talk about?”
> 
> Jason shook his head, “No, no, you are the one who stomped on me with your feet.” 
> 
> “Excuse me?” Piper said, shock clear on her face. 
> 
> Before Jason can respond, he hears footprints and a woman talking on her phone. The shock shown on Piper’s face, she clearly didn’t want to deal with whoever the woman was. As soon as the sound of heels clacking was far enough away, Piper harshly turned to Jason. He was a little shocked by the sudden movement. “Well you danced with these feet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> persephonerights: I hope you enjoy this chapter!!

It felt like mere minutes before she was standing in front of a crowd of Olympians in a pantsuit, holding hands with Percy. In reality, it was at 11 am the next day after her mom and Athena had taken the time to set everything up. 

Athena was another person who hated Percy in the Palace. Piper was starting to realize that a lot of people were taking their anger about the situation out on Percy. It wasn’t his choice to marry her, or force her to get married. But all these people were acting like it was. 

Before the began walking out onto the terrace, where their engagement would officially be announced, Piper looked over to Percy and took a calming breath. He looked back over at her and winked, “We got this.” 

She looked forward, straightening her back. She may not be a Queen yet but that doesn’t mean she can’t act like one. Parliament thought forcing her to get married would make her role over and quit? Well they were wrong. And she would prove them wrong. 

Athena nodded to Piper and Percy, then the guards, who opened the double doors, allowing Percy and Piper to walk through. They walked all the way to the edge of the balcony and waved. Piper lifted her hand to match Percy’s perfect royal wave, and on the way up she hit a vase of flowers that had been decoratively set up for the announcement. 

To save the onlookers from being hit straight on the head by a large vase of flowers Piper grabbed it, and pulled it closer to her, as if she had intended to grab it. As if it had been set out for her to take along with her when she went back into Palace.

Percy, sensing her distress, dropped his wave and picked up the vase in front of him. He held it up as if offering it up to the crowd and nodded to Piper to do the same. Piper quickly did the same and shared a personal smile with Percy. She looked back out to the crowd and gave her best Princess smile. Ares stepped closer to her, signalling that it was time for her and Percy to turn and go back inside. So with one final smile Piper stepped out of the sunlight and into the comforting walls of the Palace.

Piper handed her vase to a maid and Percy did the same on her left. As soon as she heard the double doors close she burst into laughter, unable to contain it any longer. She had been practically bursting when she had almost knocked it over the first time but her nerves took over - thankfully. Percy took one look at Piper and started laughing too. So they stood there, just had committed themselves to a wedding in three weeks, laughing like they had all the time in the world. 

* * *

Jason stood in his uncle’s study, shocked by what he had just seen on the news. The Princess had actually done it. She had managed to find a husband in a week. “I hate to say it Uncle, but you were wrong.” Jason turned to face his uncle head on, “Princess Piper has managed to find a husband in a week.” 

Zeus rolled his eyes at his nephew’s statements, “Piper cannot possibly be happy with the idea of an arranged marriage. Your task is to romance her, show her what a real relationship could be like. A relationship filled with heat! And passion!” Zeus had gotten into his speech and his face had gotten red. 

Jason felt that what his uncle was saying was ridiculous. The Princess had already chosen a husband, “And change her mind about Percy?” His opinion on the proposition seeped through his voice. He valued being honest and courteous. Despite him and his uncle’s plans to win back the throne. 

Completely oblivious to Jason’s clear feelings on the matter Zeus agreed with him, “Exactly. And the 30 day deadline expires and the throne is ours.”

The word “ours” didn’t go unnoticed by Jason who felt compelled to respond, “And your sure my father wanted this?”

“It was his dearest wish. His last words to me were, ‘Help him Zeus. One day, he could be a king.’”

“Funny,” Jason said, disdain coloring his tone, “I don’t remember him  _ ever _ mentioning that to me.”

Noticing Jason’s reaction to what he said Zeus began to backpedal, “Well of course he wouldn’t! You were only six years old when he died. But you remember who he named you after don’t you?”

“Yes, Grandfather Jason.”

“No, no, no, no!” Zeus stands up and walks towards a portrait on the wall, “Jason Machiavelli. Power, my boy! Means never having to say your sorry.”

Jason couldn’t help but disagree with his statements. Power shouldn’t be about being an asshole. It should be about helping your people. 

* * *

Despite his negative feelings on the matter Jason went looking for Piper. Eventually he found Piper sitting on the steps in a side room of the palace, going over her some kind of notecards. Jason had found her here, hidden away from all the eyes at the Palace, 

Athena soon walked up talking on the phone. She paused in Piper and stared down at her. Piper stared right back. Athena was a strict woman whose family had been serving the royals for years. “Percy’s plane has taken off. He’ll call as soon as he lands.”

Piper gave her an obviously fake smile, there was clearly some animosity there, “Thank you. I hope he gets home safely.” 

Athena nods her agreement and walks away. As she does Piper begins to study her beautiful ring. She sighed audibly. Jason knew this was his chance. He walked out from behind the potted plant he had been hiding behind.

He walked out whistling a tune, pretending like he hadn’t seen the Princess sitting there. Trying to be coy he says, “Having second thoughts?” He lets his eyes fall to her studying the ring from where she’s sitting. 

Piper stood up, her dark eyes sparkling, “Quite the opposite actually, just studying my gorgeous ring.” She smiled at him and for a second Jason forgot who was supposed to be seducing who. 

Piper began to walk up the stairs and Jason followed her. He had backed her up against the railing of the stairs. When she turned to pay attention to him she quickly walked back down the stairs, away from him. “Well if you’ll excuse me, I really must go see to some  _ wedding details _ .” 

Piper had given him a look when she said the final two words. As if she could see straight through him. She began to walk up the staircase mirroring the one he was still standing on. They began to walk up opposite staircases at the same pace. Piper paused and looked to him, “Is there something you want to talk about?”

Jason shook his head, “No, no, you are the one who stomped on me with your feet.” 

“Excuse me?” Piper said, shock clear on her face. 

Before Jason can respond, he hears footprints and a woman talking on her phone. The shock shown on Piper’s face, she clearly didn’t want to deal with whoever the woman was. As soon as the sound of heels clacking was far enough away, Piper harshly turned to Jason. He was a little shocked by the sudden movement. “Well you danced with these feet.” 

Jason acknowledged her statement with a nod, he thought riling her up would take a little longer. “Fine, I danced with you. Call the Hague, convene the war crimes tribunal. Piper, I feel like I should remind you that we only danced for a minute.”

They had reached the top of the stairs now and they were walking closer to each other. “It was more than a minute,” Piper looked him over, “It looked like you wanted it to be longer than that.”

Jason blushed, another reason he never wanted to do this was because he truly thought Piper was pretty, “Fine, it was longer than that. A minute and a half.” 

“No matter how long it was, it was a lie. You never told me who you were and you sure didn’t mention that you were planning on stealing my crown.” 

Jason was mad at her now, sure that was exactly what he was doing, but why would she throw it back in his face? “Well excuse me for my momentary lapse in good manners. Usually when I ask a woman to dance I show her my family tree first.”

“Oh well aren’t you...crafty.” She looked him over, clearly mad but trying not to let it show. Jason smiled at her clear annoyance and she turned away from him. 

As soon as she was going to leave him, they heard a voice say, “Maybe she’s in the stairwell?” Piper quickly moved past him and started to head down the staircase she was originally standing on. 

She began to talk again, clearly directing it to Jason. He followed her. “Do you want to know what else you were doing while you did your little lie dance?”

Jason couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of what she had just said, “Lie dance?” 

Piper, still walking said, “Yes! That’s exactly what it was and you know it.” 

The voice they had heard before said, “I’ll go look for her in the stairwell myself.” 

Piper and Jason had come upon a door and Piper opened, motioning for Jason to step inside. He did and realized he had just walked right into a closet. This was easier than he thought.

Piper turned the lights on and faces him again. “The lie dance isn’t the point.”

“There’s a point?” Jason reaches around her and turns the light back off. 

Piper turns the light back on and faces him head on. The anger he saw on her face stopped him. “The point is that I’m onto you. I’m onto what you’re trying to do here.”

They had gotten closer to the point where they were almost touching, “And what am I trying to do?”

“You think I don’t know? I’ve been dealing with this for forever. Because pretty means stupid and pretty means easy but I’m neither of those things.”

Jason mutters the word, “What?” He had not expected to hear all this, Piper was clearly not going to be as easy to seduce as he thought. Which was exactly what she was clearly upset about. 

Piper steps back from him, with tears in her eyes and he feels a flash of guilt go through him. They were still close but not nearly as much as before. The closet door was flung open by a poor unsuspecting maid. “Oh! Princess Piper! Lord Grace! My apologies.”

Piper began to stutter out a response to refute what it looked like but before she could the door closed. Jason’s guilt was still swirling in his stomach but he felt a sense of smug satisfaction that his uncle’s plan was working. Rumors were as good as gold in the Palace and in royal circles. This would be circulating by this afternoon.

* * *

Aphrodite and Ares were taking a walk around the gardens, talking about what was happening in the Palace. He was updating her on what he heard from some of the other guards and the research he had done. “I’ve been informed this Lord Grace boy is a native Olympian, recently graduated from Cambridge, a gourmet cook, and plays rugby and is an excellent fencer. He is known as quite the charmer.”

Aphrodite’s stomach sunk. She loved love and wanted the best for her daughter. It’s why she had told Piper that she was allowed to abdicate the throne if she wanted to. But she was proud that her daughter had chosen to become the rightful Queen she was. 

“Are you sure? That Piper was in a closet with him?”

Ares solemnly nodded his head, “Yes, she was.”

Aphrodite couldn’t help but sigh, “Does she have the makings of a Queen?”

“She’s young, but I’ve always believed in her.”

Aphrodite nodded her head. Ares had helped protect Piper back in New York and she trusted his judgment. “Well the wedding invitations have been sent out. Her and Percy are an excellent match. And she’s very set on this.”

There were gardeners who left their posts when they saw the Queen and her guard walking past. “Aphrodite, my dear, please forget the wedding for a moment,” Aphrodite had often heard that she was the only person Ares was willing to act like this around and she welcomed it. 

“In less than a month you will no longer be Queen.” He stopped walking and motioned for her to do the same so she did. “And I will no longer be your head of security.” He took a deep breath. Aphrodite had never seen him like this, “I think it’s time we bring our relationship out of the shadows.”

Aphrodite sucked in a breath, looking at him in shock, “Oh Ares…”

He smiled at her and it was beautiful, “Yes dear, I would kneel if not for a knee replacement.” 

They sat down together on a bench, “Oh, oh Ares. There’s a wedding to be planned. Piper needs to win over the people of Olympus, all in less than 30 days! I spent so much of my life not paying attention and I need to now.”

“Perhaps it’s time to consider the duty you have to yourself.” Aphrodite sighed. She believed in taking care of yourself and loving yourself, but she would not shirk her duties to do it. “Aphrodite, please just think about it.”

Aphrodite, overwhelmed with love, placed a hand on his cheek. She head tears in her eyes when she responded, “I will.”

* * *

Piper sat on a bench outside the Palace writing in her diary.

_ Dear Diary,  _

_ My queen lessons continue. Surprise, surprise. To fulfill one Olympian tradition I must learn to shoot a flaming arrow through a ceremonial ring. This will happen on the eve of my coronation. It’s symbolic for lighting my own eternal flame.  _

_ I was very bad at it. I shot the ground and a tree (scaring this poor gardener). Then I accidentally elbowed my instructor in the stomach. I shot a golf cart wheel and almost shot a bird. And then I almost hit Jason who was reading on a bench. “Sorry?” I called over but my heart wasn’t in it. _

* * *

Piper was late and she was running to meet with her mother and Athena for a lesson, with Annabeth in tow. She ran in and sat down, “I’m sorry, so sorry. I am almost in time though!”

“So!” she said to her mother after almost falling out of her seat from launching herself at the chair. “What are we learning today?”

Athena offered a plate with fans sitting on them to her and her mom. “Today, we are learning the art of,” her mom snapped one open for dramatic flair, “the fan.”

“Fascinating.”

“Yes, now get up. We only have about 10 minutes to communicate this. Now, one handles a fan very deliberately. It’s a tremendous tool of communication.” Piper snapped open her own fan. Her mom nodded, “That’s it.

“With this fan you can say things like,” she waved an open fan in front of her face, covering the lower half of it, “come here.” Piper followed it, perfectly. She knew how to flirt which is how she caught Jason in his trap. 

“You can say I never wish to speak to you again,” she holds her fan up and turns her body away. “We can say I’m feeling shy today.” Her mom covers her face by her fan. 

Piper begins to rotate the fan over her face, making a new and more dramatic face each time, showing it to Annabeth to make her laugh. She was holding it in but she was smiling at Piper. 

Aphrodite suddenly looked up from her own fan at Piper, she stopped quickly but she had been caught. “Are you sassing me?” 

Piper quickly covered her own face with her fan. “I would never sass you Mom,” but it didn’t sound genuine considering she was laughing.

“Well the fan can also he used to show annoyance,” her mom swatted at her with the fan and Piper squawked. Now Annabeth openly laughed. 

* * *

“We will have somebody come and visit your farm in the morning,” Piper said, looking at her twentieth subject that day. The man’s hands were burned and worn, but his eyes seemed kind. “We’ll see if we can repair the well and save your field.”

The man nodded, and she realized with a distant sort of horror that he might be crying. It wouldn’t be the first, even in the last hour, but she still had no idea what to do each time. He passed Ares, who stood to her left, something wrapped in a towel. 

“This is for your table,” the man said, and Ares lifted a corner to show her the loaf of bread.

“Thank you,” she said, smile genuine.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the man replied, and let himself be directed back towards the front gates, the guards leading him gathering the information they would need to get to his the next morning.

“You do this so well,” Aphrodite whispered, from her position just behind Ares, draped as she was across her own throne. “They just adore you.”

“Of all the Olympian traditions you are being taught,” Ares added, “this is certainly the one you are best at.”

“Yes,” Aphrodite agreed. “You have to be fair and honest, showing the people that even if you can’t help, you do care.”   


“Well, that’s not hard,” Piper said. “I  _ do _ care.”

She turned to nod at Annabeth, who resumed control of the line. “Citizen Jaqueline Grenough?”

Piper had already been briefed on all the situations she’d be presented with today, and this one she remembered very clearly, having just gone through college herself. “We will review your scholarship application,” she told the girl, who was willow-thin and looked like she’d just gotten off work. “Someone will be in touch no later than the end of next week.”

“Oh, merci,” the girl said in a relieved huff of breath, then rushed to tack “Your Majesty” on the end. Piper just smiled, then accepted the melon she offered, with a “Merci, Jaqueline, C’est gentil” of her own.

“Citizen Tiny Duval,” Annabeth read, and another man stepped forward. He looked like he was nearing his sixties, a clean line of silver along the roots of his hair.

“Your Majesty,” he said, directing his attention towards Aphrodite, who smiled graciously.

“Bonjour, Tiny,” she said. “May I present my daughter, Princess Piper.”

This had happened more than once today, despite the crowd behind having a clear view of the throne from where they waited. None of them were quite sure what to do with the incoming princess, but they’d known they would have to be patient with the transition. 

“Princess Piper,” the man said, turning towards where she sat, his voice uncertain.

“Monsieur,” she said, while he cleared his throat.

“Thank you for seeing me today.” He reached behind himself, and passed along a wicker basket, and Ares eyed the moving towel draped over top with much apprehension. “Something for your table.”

“Thank you,” Piper said.

“She’s my favorite,” the man continued.

“May I?” Piper asked, reaching towards it. Ares seemed reluctant to pass it along, but he couldn’t refused Piper, certainly not in front of a crowd of subjects. 

“Be careful,” he said instead.

“Aw, it’s a chicken,” she said, but the moment the towel lifted, the chicken decided that she wasn’t having it today. Aphrodite barely got her own “Careful!” out before it was flying halfway across the room, nearly throwing itself at the now-frantic crowd of people.

Ares muttered something into the radio at his wrist and began forward, and Piper moved to follow, but her mother put a hand on her shoulder before she’d even left her seat.

“Piper,” Aphrodite said, and something in her tone told Piper she was suppressing a sigh. “A princess never chases a chicken.”

* * *

_ Dear diary, _

_ As if things couldn’t get more hectic, tomorrow I am set to review the royal guard. The whole court will be watching, plus the troops, plus the fact that there will  _ _ definitely _ _ be press. _

_ And I’m wearing a floor-length dress, and have to be ladylike riding sidesaddle. Hah! _

* * *

“I can’t ride sidesaddle,” she admitted to an audience of her mother, Ares, a very judgemental horse, and Annabeth, who was looking over the whole scene with a critical eye.

“Oh, of course not,” Aphrodite said, and continued before Piper could decide whether or not to be offended. “I couldn’t ride sidesaddle either when I was your age, and frankly, dear, it is always uncomfortable.”

“Oh, well,” Piper said. “That’s good to know, I suppose.”

“Epona is my riding companion,” Aphrodite said, just as a stout woman came running into the stables, carrying what looked like—

“Ah, here she is,” Aphrodite said, turning to greet her. 

“It’s a wooden leg,” Annabeth said, in what was likely meant to be a whisper but echoed in the quiet air of the stables.

“Yes, it is,” Aphrodite said, smile proud. “Here.”

It took help from both her and Ares to get Piper up on the horse, because while the beasts had nothing against Piper, they had no love for her, either. Then the two of them helped direct her—a boot in the stirrup, the leg attaching to the saddle, an artful drape of her skirts to cover both the top of the wood and her real leg on the other side of the horse.

“This is pretty sneaky, mom,” Piper said, while Annabeth ran around with a sharp eye, making sure no one would be able to tell. “Did you come up with this on your own?”

“No, no,” she said, waving a hand delicately. “It’s a centuries-old idea.”

“This should work,” Annabeth commented, apparently satisfied that their deception was adequately covered.

“Sweet,” Piper said.

* * *

“Hear ye, hear ye!” the crier announced.

“I can’t believe you people actually have a crier,” Leo said at her side, dressed for the first time in something actually appropriate for the occasion; ie, something not covered in engine grease.

“I can’t believe you know he’s called a crier,” she responded, deciding that bickering was better than focusing on whatever anxiety was squirming in her stomach.

Leo just shrugged, mouth opening to respond before Annabeth bullied her way between them.

“It’s time to go, princess,” she said, and turned towards Leo. He held his hands up in a placating gesture at the ire in her eyes, even though he knew it couldn’t be directed at him. At least, probably not. He’d definitely done some things that might get him yelled at, but he didn’t think there was any way she could know about them.

And then he wondered why he was so spooked by his best friend’s  _ maid, _ of all things. She’s really got some power.

“You,” she told him, and did something very pointed with her gaze, “need to go wait in the crowd.”

He tried to follow where she was looking, but he couldn’t puzzle it out before she was not-shoving him into the crowd of onlookers, and he could do nothing but stand there confused and disoriented.

Then he spotted some very distinct blonde hair in this crowd full of brunettes, and felt some anger twist his mouth into a shark’s smile.

The bane of Piper’s existence was even more handsome in person, not that Leo would ever admit it. He felt he could understand Piper’s bitter and confused ramblings better now, upon seeing him.

Leo went and planted himself right beside him, the two of them in the front row watching Piper look over a crowd of stuffy soldiers. 

It took him to notice Leo, perhaps due to the foot or so in their height difference. Then he smiled, though, something that looked rehearsed on his face, and stuck out a hand. “I’m Jason,” he said. “Viscount Zeus’ nephew.”

“Ah,” Leo said, as if he didn’t know damn well who he was talking to. “You’re the guy who’s trying to stage the palace coup.”

Jason had the nerve to look uncomfortable. Leo finally reached out and shook his hand. “I’m Leo Valdez, best friend to the future queen, and I don’t like you.”

Jason pulled back, clearing his throat. “Pleasure.”

Someone started yelling something into a megaphone, and the military men in front of them started moving, presumably following directions. Piper was among them, the height of her horse making her clearly visible.

Especially when her horse suddenly bucked.

She nearly succeeded in throwing Piper off, but she held on, by some miracle. Leo was already moving forward, and he could see her trying to calm the horse—but to no avail. The second time the horse threw her legs in the air, Piper came tumbling off, and it was probably only by virtue of all those petticoats she didn’t flash someone.

Annabeth was already at her side when Leo got there, helping her sit up, pressing her hands into Piper’s arms and sides. Leo pulled her into a hug so that the press wouldn’t be able to get a clear shot of the tears in her eyes.

“No wonder she’s so clumsy,” he heard someone behind him say, and he could tell from the malice in Annabeth’s gaze, directed over his shoulder, who it probably was. “She’s got a wooden leg!”

Someone in the crowd had the gall to laugh, and a few others followed hesitantly. 

The dude with the megaphone announced the end of the ceremony, and Piper stumbled to her feet, running blindly in the direction of shelter. She could hear Leo and Annabeth behind her, no doubt wanting her to  _ stay, wait, we need to make sure you’re okay, we need to make sure the press can’t twist this— _ but all she wanted was to get clear of the cameras.

Fortunately, she found her way to the tack shed, which was largely unoccupied. Unfortunately, its one current occupant was none other than Jason Grace.

He seemed unsure about what to do with her, which she supposed was fair. She was currently trying not to sob.

“You shouldn’t hide,” he finally said, hands hovering like he couldn’t decide whether or not to try and comfort her. She was glad he didn’t try. “It only makes the gossip worse.”

“What do you want?” she said, venom tampered heavily by the effort not to heave. She was close to pulling herself together, but being forced to interact when all she really wanted was some peace to finish crying was not helping.

“Just think, one more leg and you could’ve easily outrun your horse.” He punctuated the statement with a chuckle, as if to clarify that it was a joke.

Piper was far, far from in the mood. “I don’t need this right now.”

The humor faded from his face, and she had to catch herself because the concern felt— _ real. _ What he wore on his face, something between concern and sorrow and maybe even  _ guilt, _ seemed like the most honest expression he’d made in her presence. “Piper,” he started, and trailed off for a moment. “I’m—I’m sorry.”

And Piper couldn’t handle it. She’d just fucked up the biggest event before her wedding—or had it fucked up  _ for her, _ as the case may be, and now Jason was looking at her with something that might be genuine remorse and worry when that was the last thing she wanted or expected from him.

“No you’re not,” she snapped, glad she could find something in her stomach that wasn’t anxiety or grief. “You never think about anyone but yourself. So, just this once, can you please let me be miserable, and not make me feel worse about myself?”

His face crumpled, and he reached forward, but Piper was just about ready to take his arm off. “Just go  _ away.” _

“Piper,” he began, but then Ares appeared, Annabeth and Leo right behind him.

“Princess,” he said, and Piper vowed to give him a raise. “Excuse me, but the queen has arrived.”

Piper nodded, schooling her expression as best she could and taking solace in the knowledge that her mother was  _ definitely _ going to let her cry as much as she needed to once all this was over. She let Leo and Annabeth lead her out of the shed, letting Ares’ anger directed at the man behind her rush over her like rain on a warm day.

* * *

Ares watched as Piper was led away by Leo and Annabeth, comforting arms around her shoulders. He sharply turned towards the young man who had targeted Piper in a secluded room more than once now. 

The young man, Jason Grace, stepped as if he was going to follow the princess. Ares put his arm in front of him, not allowing him to pass. “Jason, am I going to be disappointed in you?” It was not a question meant to be answered, it was meant to intimidate. And it came across that way. 

Before Jason could defend himself, Viscount Grace walked in with his unsettling eyes and smile, “Unfortunate incident, that.” Zeus turned his attention towards Jason now, avoiding looking at Ares. Probably sensing the hostility. “I’m just leaving. You going to come see me off?”

Ares had a conversation he needed to have with Zeus. One that was very important to him and to Piper. So he stopped Jason before he could follow his uncle out. “I’d like to speak with your uncle alone Jason.”

Ares felt the young man hesitate before looking at his uncle, who gave him a slight nod. He slowly made his way out of the saddle room’s door. Zeus smiled at Ares, a man caught and trying to alleviate the tension that had been created in the room. It would not work.

Ares looked Zeus head on, with a slight smile on his face, “Viscount, you may not be aware of what my job entails as the royal head of security. My job is to protect the crown, to make sure no harm comes to the crown, and to step in when someone toys with the crowns  _ emotions. _ ”

Zeus did not look intimidated, if anything he looked calmer, “I think the entire country understands how well you cater for the crowns emotions.”

At the mention of his and Aphrodite’s relationship the smile slips off of Ares’s face. He did not become the youngest royal head of security in Olympian history to take a comment like that lightly, “If you hurt my girl,” Ares didn’t have time to process the emotions associated with calling Piper that, “you will answer directly to me, and whatever crimes I commit against you remember that I have diplomatic immunity in 46 countries.”

The tension in Zeus’s body was visible and their were veins popping in his neck. His head shook as he spoke. “ _ Sir _ , you will find that the word ‘fear’ is  _ not  _ in my vocabulary.”

Ares small, dangerous smile returned as he took a step closer to the viscount. Glad he had finally got the reaction he came for. “Maybe...but I can see it in your eyes.” As he moved to leave he swung the fake snake that Zeus had purposely placed to scare Piper’s horse on the Viscount’s shoulder, “You forgot something.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason couldn’t help but laugh along. “I loathe you too.”
> 
> Piper took a step closer, turning his own game against him, “I loathe you first.”

Jason was in the Palace’s kitchen, cooking for Queen Aphrodite. How this became his life he had no idea. Today was the day that Princess Piper’s horse had a fright and revealed she had been using a fake leg. 

Queen Aphrodite turned to the cook who brought her tea and smiled warmly at him, “Merci beaucoup.”

She then turned her gaze to Jason and he saw it noticeably cool. He set the desert in front of the Queen as she addressed him directly, “Jason, may I ask you a question?” She motioned for him to sit.

When a queen asks if she may ask you something, it wasn’t really a question. He sat, expecting to be confronted about what happened today. “Of course Majesty.”

He sat and faced her head on and asked in a genuinely curious tone, “Why are you so against Princess Mia being queen?”

Jason felt the answer fall from lips, like he had heard it a thousand times before. Because he had. “My uncle feels that Princess Mia doesn’t know the people.”

“And you feel you do? Know the people?” 

Jason was a politician at heart, after being trained his whole life to become one, “Yes. I was born here, I went to primary school here. I am a true Olympian. Mia didn’t even know she was Olympian until high school, and to be frank, she’s spent little of her time here since then.”

Aphrodite’s gaze was focused on her desert but her eyebrows were raised. “Well, I happen to feel,” she looked up and stared directly into Jason’s eyes, “that she’ll make a great ruler. She’s terribly bright, sensitive, caring.”

Jason found himself speaking before he thought, “I know that.”

“You do?”

With those two simple words from the queen Jason felt caught. “Yes, yes I do, but, how can one rule the people if they do not know the people?”

Queen Aphrodite nodded along, “Touche. That’s a very good question.”

Jason saw on her face that she was planning something. And he somehow felt that the next part of her plan of Mia being his successful would be his fault.

* * *

Piper listened to the woman singing opera, smiling. She still didn’t understand opera or like it in all honesty but she could smile and fake it. She looked down at the pale purple dress she was wearing, the matching hat balanced just so on her head. Whenever she moved her head she would feel the bobby pins pulling at her hair. 

The opera singer was done singing and Piper stood, clapping. The “royal table” was set up right in front of the stage for the performers. Her mother, Leo, and Percy were all here for a garden lunch party. Her and Percy needed to start making public appearances with each other. 

Queen Aphrodite made her way to the stage and Piper trailed after, grabbing the small trophy she would be handing to the singer, hoping she wouldn’t somehow mess this up. Queen Aphrodite began speaking into the microphone, “Opera’s new rising star, Anna Netrebko!” 

Piper took her cue and handed Anna the trophy, a small pear on a box pedestal. Anna smiled politely and said, “Looks good enough to eat.” 

When everyone began laughing Aphrodite made the announcement that everyone could walk to the refreshments. Piper made her way off the stage and over to Percy and Leo. “We need to start mingling.”

Piper grabbed Percy’s hand, to comfort herself a little and to make sure she doesn’t lose him. Leo followed after her closely, “Hey, everything is under control. We went over the notecards of everyone’s names a million times! You got this Pipes!” 

Piper turned to Leo smiling, “Have I ever told you you’re my best friend and I love you?”

“Only everyday for the last ten years.”

Piper took a deep breath and turned to face in front of her again. She muttered under her breath, “I got this.” Percy started laughing beside her and squeezed her hand. 

Her bent down to whisper to her, “This is going to be perfect.”

Piper took another deep breath and stood up straight, regal. She put on her princess face and walked up to the first people she knew she could get their names right. After introductions she bent down to ask them a question, “How are your grandchildren Willy, Charlotte, and Sam?”

The Duchess she was speaking to smiled, “They’re wonderful, thank you for remembering.”

Piper had to restrain herself from fist pumping in victory. Time sped by quickly as she, Percy, and Leo made their way about the table area. Her time was filled with asking questions about random people’s lives who she would only say in formal settings like this.

“How’s your dachshund, Maury right?” She asked a woman who she had only seen once before.

“He is great! You remember him from last time?” The woman seemed shocked. Piper wanted to yell, ‘No, of course I didn’t your face and your pets are on a set of notecards I study before events like this.’ 

She managed to restrain herself, “Of course! He’s adorable.”

Piper quickly moved on, grabbing at Percy’s arm to bring him with her. In the midst of their mingling she sees Jason walk in with a petite, blonde woman on his arm. She squints her eyes. As she walks someone grabs her hand pulling her close. It’s one of the Ladies who’s actually close to her in age, Silena Beauregard. Piper smiles at her. 

“Piper, do you happen to see who’s here?” Silena asks her. 

Feigning ignorance Piper responds, “No who?”

Silena’s smile turns absolutely sharklike when she turns to Jason and the woman he’s with. “The king wannabe with Lady Elissa.” 

Piper doesn’t know why it stings so much. It was embarrassing that she thought his flirting meant anything to him She straightens her back and smiles, “Oh, is she his girlfriend?”

Charlie, who had been in conversation with Percy, snorts. “Jason doesn’t do girlfriends. Too ‘aloof’ to notice when anyone is into him.”

Silena seems to recognize what was going on in Piper’s head. “You talk to him much?”

“Uh, we acknowledge each other.” Piper shrugs and looks at Percy, using her eyes to ask for help to get out of this situation. They had decided to be completely honest with each other about absolutely everything. A symptom of this was they knew about their mutual feelings for other people. Talk about inconvenient for a marriage. But after Percy’s reaction to the Annabeth thing she knew they would remain loyal to each other. And she loved that. 

“Hey Pipes - let’s take a walk through the garden,” Percy smiles as he talks and takes her hand. Piper smiles at Silena and Charlie and gives them a little wave. As they walk Percy smiles at her, “You did amazing. _ Very _ charming.”

Piper laughed at Percy’s wiggling eyebrows. “Aw, thank you.”

“So, what I’m about to do is revenge.” Noticing Piper’s raised eyebrows Percy quickly corrected himself, “We’re going to run into the wannabe king and,” he shrugs, “this is definitely revenge for the Annabeth thing.” 

Piper blanches as Percy puts a flower in her hair, as they’re staring at each other they run into Jason and Lady Elissa. Percy gives Jason a smile that made him seem like he was hiding something. Or that he was going to deck him.

As they stood there in a few seconds of awkward silence Piper looked between Percy and Jason, thinking about how different they were. Percy grew up poor in New York, an accidental troublemaker who ran around with people like Piper, who were actual troublemakers.

Jason was a man who had been raised to eventually become king even though he didn’t have any royal blood. Piper thought he was entitled and a prick who was determined to bring her down. 

Percy held out his hand for Jason to shake, “Perseus Jackson. Fiance to the future queen.”

Jason shook his hand, clearly confused. Percy was a sailor and Jason had been raised a politician, they had very different types of intensity. 

Sensing the tension between the two men Piper quickly stepped in, “Lady Elissa, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The Lady quickly smiled and curtsy, “Your Highness.”

The tension was back after her quick response, no pleasantries given back. She turned her eyes to Percy and smiled, “Well, Mr. Percy, would you like to get a drink?”

Clearly the awkward one now, Percy agreed, offering her his arm.

* * *

Jason was left standing with Piper awkwardly as her fiance and the date Zeus set up with him walked away. 

He turns to her and gives a fake smile, “Fantastic party.”

Piper gives a sharp nod, “It is.” The barely contained disgust on her face showed how she truly felt about him. 

He felt irrationally angry about the look he got from her. If she and Percy were going to mess with him he was going to mess with her, “You two make a lovely couple.”

The smile that Piper gave him was genuine and he was a little scared this plan wouldn’t work, “We do, yeah.”

“It’s a shame you’re not attracted to him.”

Jason watched as Piper absentmindedly nodded, “I know, it-” she stopped as soon as she noticed what she said. Jason smiled as he walked away from her, knowing he had won that fight. But she wasn’t quick to let him. 

“You, get back here!” Jason walked through the maze, making Piper follow him. “You can’t just say something like that and then walk away! I’ve known Percy for my whole life,” Piper began to trip over her own shoes, the heels making her trip as she quickly followed him in the grass. “I mean, he’s pretty hot.”

Jason’s own steps faltered. He could practically sense Piper’s pride at getting in a hit. “I mean, have you seen those _ gorgeous _ green eyes. And that _ tan _. We understand each other.”

Not wanting to hear any more, Jason cuts her off and deadpans, “Understands you? What passion.” He had no idea why hearing her say all those things made him upset but it did. “I didn’t hear the word love.”

They had made their way to a fountain. Piper moved to stand in front of him and smirked. He was distracted by the way the light danced in her brown eyes. “Oh, you are so jealous.”

“Why would I be jealous of Percy? He’s got to spend the rest of his life married to you.”

Piper laughed in his face and said in a mocking tone, “Here’s a word for you. I _ loathe _ you.”

Jason couldn’t help but laugh along. “I loathe you too.”

Piper took a step closer, turning his own game against him, “I loathe you first.”

Jason didn’t know what overtook him but he suddenly felt the sudden urge to kiss her, so he did. He quickly took a step forward and put his lips on hers, pulling her close to him. At first he felt Piper kiss him back, pulling him even closer. She seemed to be into it and him. Then she suddenly pushed him away. 

He saw the anger in her eyes and he wasn’t surprised but it didn’t stop the sudden hurt he felt. “What the hell was that! You can’t just go around kissing people! Especially engaged ones!”

Jason gave a humorless laugh. “You kissed me back. Want to kiss again?”

Piper started walking around the fountain, “No, I don’t.” Jason thought she didn’t sound very convinced. 

“Are you sure?”

“Don’t try and play this game with me.”

“What game am I playing? What’s a kiss have to do with a game?”

Piper turned to face him, her shoulders tense. “Right. Because you don’t think I can see what’s happening. Because I’m just some stupid American. Who doesn’t fit in here, my looks, the way I talk my attitude. Well I see what you’re doing. You can’t make me love you and forget Percy. I will keep my crown and you won’t be stealing it from me.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Jason was confused by her and was she was saying. He didn’t think any of that. “Maybe I’m just genuinely into you!”

Piper scoffed as soon as the words came out of his mouth and began to walk away. Jason grabbed her arm, hoping to explain himself further, but she twisted away from him.

“Get off of me,” she yelled as they fell into a fountain. They literally fell into the fountain. 

Jason struggled to sit up as Piper shrieked in frustration. “Jason,” the way she said his name made him stop. Her voice was pitched low and it was clear this wasn’t two people messing around. “I have an excellent idea. How about you go back underwater and I count to one million.”

Then, with an air of dignity he was surprised she could muster, she stood and walked out of the fountain, “Be careful!” he yelled.

She walked straight past Queen Aphrodite and Annabeth with her back straight and shoulders set. He could hear their conversation so he stopped moving to listen in. 

Queen Aphrodite asked Piper if she wanted to know.

He saw Piper shake her head. Percy was walking over to Queen Aphrodite and Piper but he stopped by the fountain just to smirk down at Jason. Asshole. 

Piper walked away from her mother and was offered a towel and smile by her lady in waiting, the one with the curly blonde hair. Percy walked up to the queen, offering her a kiss on the cheek, “This place will certainly never get boring.”

* * *

Piper was laying on the couch in her mom’s room, in sweats and her wet hair in a braid. Her mother had been yelling about what happened that day. “When are you going to start acting responsibly! Hiding in a closet with a man who is not your betrothed? Coming out of a fountain dripping wet with the _ same man _ who is not your betrothed?” Her mom dramatically through herself onto the bed. Like a woman in a 1950s movie having an emotional fit. 

Piper couldn’t hide her emotions, they showed through when her voice shook. “Do you think I plan for this kind of stuff to happen. I lost it! Sometimes you just lose it!”

Aphrodite stood back up, “You can’t afford to lose it! _ Other people _ lose it. We’re supposed to find it! People look up to us and we’re held to higher standards of behavior. Can you try to grasp that concept?”

Piper couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Sometimes she forgot she was royalty and the fights her and Aphrodite had seemed like regular mom and daughter arguments. “The concept is grasped. The execution is a little...elusive.”

Aphrodite sighed, “I would say so.” She walked over to Piper and put a comforting hand on her shoulder and said in her queen voice, “Try to get some sleep. You’ll want to look fresh for the parade tomorrow.”

Piper climbed over the back of the couch, ignoring her mother’s hand. She was so mad that her mom had used the queen voice on her. Like she was a person she could order around because of the power she held because of a status she had been given by the circumstances of her birth. 

“Goodnight,” Aphrodite yelled, clearly not happy with Piper’s attitude. 

Piper straightened her back when she reached the door, looking back over her shoulder. She used her own princess voice, the one she used to deal with annoying courtiers, “Goodnight Mother.” She swung the double doors open and walked into the hallway.

* * *

Drew Tanaka really hoped there wasn’t any lipstick on her teeth. “Happy Independence Day, Olympus!” she told the camera, smile wide as she gestured over her shoulder. “Here we are in Thessaly, capital of Olympus, for the big annual parade.”

And big it was. Drew could barely hear her own voice, and she had headphones piping it straight into her ears. Everyone was excited at the chance to see their country’s new queen in person. “Here they come!”

A particularly rowdy version of the national anthem began amongst the crowd, the band in the parade catching on and following along in record time. They were swallowed by flanks of flag-bearers, followed quickly by the top-down cars carrying the important people.

“There’s Prime Minister Baccus,” Drew pointed out, half-distracted, remembering all those she was told to keep track of. He’s on a horse, strutting high above the crowd, and he looked, quite frankly, ridiculous. “And his son, Dakota.”

Dakota was half-drunk already, Drew could tell, and she worked to quickly redirect the camera. “People have come from all over Olympus—here’s the Cretean marching band, led by Lucy Carmichael. And, of course, the Libbet’s folk dancers.”

Group after group passed, and Drew did a fantastic job remembering each of their names, though she knew that the audience was interested in only one.

“And now, the queen Aphrodite, alongside her daughter, Princess Piper.”

* * *

It had been a while since Piper had attended a parade, let alone participated in one.

She thought she remembered something from when she was younger, either St. Patrick’s or New Years’, when her father wasn’t busy and had placed her on top of his shoulders so that she could see above the crowd. She’d grabbed whatever thrown candy her tiny hands could hold.

Now she sat beside her mother, an actual _ queen, _ as they wove throughout the streets of the country she would one day rule. She was no longer the one catching the candies, but part of the people throwing them.

It helped her, she discovered, to focus on one or two people at a time. Kept it all from getting too overwhelming, which was far too likely to happen without Leo there to ground her. She’d pick someone out to wave at, make up little stories about who they were here with, and then repeat when they got too far away.

Which is what she was doing when she saw the group of little boys picking on a girl down a side street, just barely close enough that she could hear him making fun of her corkscrew hair.

She was talking before she’d even thought about it. “Stop the carriage.”

“What?” Aphrodite asked, but Piper was already all but jumping from the car. She could hear the groups behind her all stumbling as the entire procession halted, but—

Every person in this country was her subject. Every person in this country was someone she had the duty to serve. And, besides—she knew what it was like, facing bullies. These boys had no reason to be getting away with this.

“Hello, everybody,” she said, doing her best princess smile, it turning a little more true when they all started stumbling around each other. 

“Hello, Princess,” they mumble, unable to meet her eyes, all staring at their feet.

“Hi,” she said, and tried to catch the gaze of the little girl. “What’s your name?”

“Carolina,” she whispered, but it was loud enough for Piper to hear.

“Carolina,” she repeated, and the girl finally smiled. Then, she turned to the little boys. “And yours?”

“John,” said one.

“Blake,” answered his friend. 

“Did I see you two messing with Carolina?” she asked.

Carolina leaned over, and Piper obliged, crouching even closer, as the little girl whispered, “They were tugging on my braid.”

Piper turned to the little boys, doing her best to emulate her mother’s disappointed frown. Then, she waved over one of the guards in the procession. “Excuse me,” she said, as he stumbled to her side. “These children are. . .”

“Most of them are orphans, um, my lady,” he said. “We care for as many as possible.”

Piper nodded distractedly, mind already racing, body already crouching back down to be eye level with the little girl. “Well,” she said. “Carolina. Would you like to be a princess today?”

Her eyes widened, but she shook her head. “I can’t. I’m too little. Too micros.”

“Oh, no, you aren’t too little.” Piper stood, taking in the rest of the kids, all crowded in this alley next to their home. “Because I declare that anyone can be a princess today!”

They all stumbled forward, and Piper extended her hands to as many as possible, before turning back to the same guard as before. “We’ll need to get you a tiara,” she told Carolina, and the guard got her message and scrambled, “and you can wave, and march in the parade with me?

“In fact,” she said, “why don’t you all take tiaras?”

They were close enough to her mother, now, that Piper could see her face as she took in the situation. One of the advisors, also listening in, said, “All? Give them all free tiaras?”

“I’ll take care of it later,” Aphrodite said, waving, and Piper smiled at her. 

“Thank you,” she said, as the guard from before arrived with a basket, and the girls fell over themselves looking through the options. 

Someone poked her gently in the side, and she turned to see one of the little boys. “Can—” he paused, turning to his friend for courage, before continuing. “Can we be in the parade?”

Piper smiled. “Of course. We could always use more princes in the world—but only ones that apologize first.”

He flushed red, but he turned to Carolina, saying “I _ am _ sorry,” and then letting Piper rest a crown on his thick curls. 

“Okay,” Piper said, and then repeated herself as the kids arranged themselves around her. “To be a princess, you have to _ believe _ that you are a princess.

“You’ve got to walk the way you think a princess would walk.” She waved at her mother, who began signalling others that the procession will resume soon, thank you. “So think tall! Smile! And wave, but, most importantly—have fun. Are we ready?”

Several heads bobbed _ yes _ at her, and there were more than a few scattered “yes ma’ams!” that had her laughing. 

“Alright!” she said, and caught her mother’s eye, who nodded yes at Athena, seated a few carriages up.”

“Forward, march!”

* * *

“Hello hello, Drew Tanaka back with another update on Princess Piper.”

She waited for the nod from her cameraman before continuing, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “Weeks before her wedding, in a stroke of skilled diplomacy, the princess has invited other royal princesses from all over the world to her bridal slumber party.”

Really, Drew thought this could go a number of ways, few of them well. It was either incredibly genius or ridiculously stupid, and only time would tell.

* * *

“Hello, Princess Lorraine,” Piper said, bowing her head slightly at the pre-teen in front of her. “Braces?”

“Yes,” the girl said, petulantly. “I’m having two diamonds put in.”

“Oh,” Piper said. She really had no clue where to take it from there, so her brain ran wild and responded, “That must make them more comfortable.”

Annabeth, thankfully, managed to snag Lorraine before she could catch the sarcastic undertone in Piper’s words, and then she turned to greet the next girl at the door. 

And then the party, somewhat surprisingly, had gone off without a hitch.

The girls, these princesses from a dozen different countries, got along surprisingly well without the stiff formalities of dances or the normal polite constraints they were expected to operate within. Leo was having the time of his life as well, flitting between them and making them laugh and sigh in equal measure. 

Even her mom was having fun, after she’d showed them all up at mattress surfing and then they’d dragged her into karaoke, Leo going so far as to duet with her. 

Piper hadn’t had this much fun since she was in middle school, likely, and after her mother’s first visit she’d convinced herself she was out of luck to have anything like it again. There was too much expected from her, as a princess already foreign to the country she was meant to rule. She couldn’t risk making more of a fool of herself than she already was.

But she was lucky. The girls were having fun, and her mother was laughing and her best friend was beside her. Right then, that was all she needed.

* * *

“Gretchen,” Zeus said, “hot water. Jason, what are you _ saying? _”

“Well,” Jason said, “she’s smart. You have to give her that. And she does really care about Olympus, I can tell.”

Zeus looked unimpressed.

“Look. I just think that, maybe...maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she ran the country.” Jason didn’t meet his uncle’s eyes—just kept staring at the coin in his hand as he flipped it over and over.

“Are you _ mad? _”

“She believes in Olympus so much she’s convinced herself to marry someone that she knows she can never love,” Jason continued.

He could hear his uncle huff at him from the other room. “I can’t believe that I am hearing this. You want _ her _ to rule? After all the effort that we have put in, just to end up with nothing?”

“It wouldn’t be nothing, though.” The coin was rigid in his hand, and the edges dug into his palm. “Olympus would be in good hands. And—” This next bit was said in a whisper, almost, his voice lacking the strength go carry it— “And she would be happy.”

“Ah.” Zeus reappeared, perhaps because he needed to see Jason’s face when he said, “You’ve fallen in love with her.”

“No,” Jason said, the denial out of his mouth before he even had the time to think about it. “No, Uncle, all that I’m saying—”

“No, no, no. What do you think will happen?” The air in the room had frozen still. “Do you think that she will leave Percy and marry you instead? I put all this effort into making you _ king, _ not having you marry a queen. I will not have it.”

* * *

Jason knew he had to apologize to Piper, for everything he had done and participated in. He had heard from a servant in the palace that today Piper would be practicing shooting for her upcoming ceremony. 

As he walked up the wooded path to where she would be practicing, he began to whistle. Jason didn’t want to shock her by showing up, especially after the fountain incident. When he got out of the shaded area he saw Piper and Leo checking Percy’s jacket. He had no idea what happened to it but he saw Piper’s blonde lady in waiting coming over to check on it. She began to check his jacket while the man and Piper walked closer to him. Even from his distance Jason could see the soft look in Annabeth’s eyes when she looked at Percy.

Jason felt a tingle go up his spine when he made eye contact with Piper. He nodded at her and she turned to face Leo. They moved closer to the path while he walked towards them. He heard the young man say, “Do you want me to get him out of here? I can get him out of here.” 

“Leo, no. Actually can you take Percy inside and try to fix his jacket? Or get him a new one I know he loves that one.”

Leo nodded but turned to Jason and gave him a dirty look over, but he left and grabbed Percy by the shoulder and started leading him inside the Palace. Percy looked over his shoulder and gave Jason a wink. Asshole. 

Jason wasn’t shocked when Piper turned and nodded for Annabeth to follow Percy and Leo. Annabeth didn’t seem upset in the slightest. Piper and Jason were now totally alone in the courtyard. 

Jason stepped onto the grass and got closer to Piper and where the bow and arrows were. “Would you like some help?”

Piper nodded brusquely, “Sure.” She grabbed a bow and began to get in position. 

Jason couldn’t help but laugh a little at the way she stood. Her shoulder was tense and up to high while her elbow was up up higher then her ear. He moved closer to her and put his hand on her elbow, “Elbow down a bit.”

She smiled as she moved, and he gave her more instructions, “Use your mouth as an anchor.”

Piper raised her eyebrows in question, “Excuse me?” 

“Touch your mouth,” he smooths his hand down her shoulder and feels her take a deep breath. She moves her arrow hand to touch the edge of her mouth. “Good.” Jason put his hand on her hand that was holding the bow, “Relax this hand.” He moves his hand to her shoulder again, “Breathe in.” He felt her take a shuddery breath. “Release.” She sent the arrow flying and it hit dead center. 

Piper gasped and smiled, looking immensely relieved. She even laughed a little as she relaxed. Piper even graced Jason with a true, thousand watt smile. None of her fake for the camera smiles. 

He couldn’t help but smile back. “How did that feel?”

“Great,” Piper and Jason were now close together, looking into each other’s eyes. “Great.”

Piper turned away from Jason though and looked at the ground. His heart was racing when he realised that he could spend his entire day like. Standing so close to Piper, just looking at her. Going against how his heart felt he took a step back, “I have to go. I really only came back to pack my things.”

At this Piper moved backwards but faced him. “You’re leaving?”

Jason nodded as his voice and expression turned more solemn, “I think it’s time I bow out gracefully. Don’t you?” 

Piper smiled sadly as she stuck her hand out to shake, “Goodbye.”

Jason shook her hand. “Bye.”

“Goodbye.”

Piper began to walk away but Jason couldn’t leave it at that. He had so much more to say. “Piper…” he stood beside her, to distract her, “Could I see you one more time before I go?” He pushed some of her fallen hair behind her ear. 

“Jason, I’m watched like a hawk.”

Right as she said that a guard ran up, “Princess!” Piper took a step back from Jason. She turned to face the guard.

“Yes?”

“Just informing you that the guard is changing.” 

Piper nodded, “Thank you.” She turned to Jason, “See?”

“I’ll find a way.” Jason smiled at Piper and walked back to the path, whistling.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper smiles and walks back to the window. She throws down her scarf to Jason and Leo cheers. She puts her leg out the window, and grabs the vine. As she climbs down Piper felt the leaves and branches get caught in her hair. “This is so much more romantic in the movies!”
> 
> When she finally lands on the ground Jason offers her his hand. She accepts and as they run Leo calls, “I’ll cover for you! Go, Rapunzel, go!”

Queen Aphrodite was stressed beyond belief. Her one and only child was getting married soon and the wedding prep was nowhere near done. She turned to her own Lady-in-Waiting beside her, “There’s only two and a half days left, Olivia. I will admit I’m beginning to feel a little frantic. Please water the plants while I check the orchestra selections.”

Olivia nodded, “They also asked you to approve place settings for the reception, Your Majesty.”

Aphrodite nodded and Olivia left. As soon as she was alone Aphrodite sighed a full body sigh, she was beginning to feel the pressure. She hit play on the speakers, relaxing as the music filled the room. It was a simple waltz and it almost distracted her from the place mats where was looking at. Honestly, she couldn’t even tell the difference between some of the choices.

Aphrodite began to sway to the music, dancing while walking around the table. She slowly moved to the middle of the room, getting more into the dance. Her arms went into position and she gasped when Ares joined her. He put his arm around her waist, and took his hand in hers. 

She smiled at his stern looking face and put her head on his shoulder. He took a deep breath and she felt it shake when he began to speak, “Have you been thinking about us?”

She lifted her head and her smile fell, she had been thinking about it and the thoughts hadn’t been good. She had spent so much of her life chasing her own dreams, not thinking of anyone else when Tristan left with Piper. She had a responsibility to her country and daughter, “Yes, I have.” She let her face show what the answer was. 

Ares took a step back, “Oh, if you’ll excuse me.” He turned to leave and Aphrodite can’t let him leave. He has to know why she was saying what she was.

“No, Ares!” she grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. “You have to know what I was going to say! Piper needs me more than ever before, and I’ve never got to be there for her before. It’s the monarchy! She’s the future and as the Queen that’s my responsibility.”

She hadn’t felt this way in years. She felt like she was begging him to understand. She was a Queen she didn’t beg. Ares looks at her now, a rare look of emotion appears on his face and he lets her see it. It looks like heartbreak. “You were never just my queen, Aphrodite. You were the one, the only woman I’ve ever loved. But if you prefer I see you as first and foremost as my queen, I’ll follow that order.”

Aphrodite reached out for Ares, putting her hand on his face, “No, Ares…”

He takes a step back from her, “Your Majesty.”

Ares’s face settles back into his mask of emotionless. He turns sharply and walks out the double doors he entered through. Aphrodite watched him go, refusing to let the tears she felt gathering in her eyes fall. 

The music that had been playing softly in the background suddenly felt like too much and too romantic. Aphrodite quickly walks over and stops it, steadying herself on the table. As she put a hand on her face she could no longer hold the tears back, so she let them go. 

* * *

Piper lounged on her couch, writing in her diary when Leo ran in. “Piper! Piper! Look out your window!”

He startled Piper into looking up and she popped up off the couch, “What’s going on?”

Leo grabbed her arm and dragged her to the window. “Just look out the window!” When they reached the window she stuck her head out and Leo kept talking except it was pretty apparent what was happening, “Prince Charming is throwing rocks!” 

Piper began to laugh, looking down at Jason whistling and throwing rocks, she whisper yells, “Jason! What are you doing?”

He began to recite a poem, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, with hair so fine. Come out your window, climb down the vine.”

Piper turns to Leo, laughing, and sees him mocking Jason. She turns to Jason and gives an exaggerated eye roll, making sure Jason can see it. She puts on a fake posh voice, “The task, dear sir, you ask isn’t easy, and I won’t respond to  _ that line _ . It’s fair too cheesy.”

Piper steps away from the window and goes over to where Leo was standing outside of the window view. “What does he want?”

Piper rolls her eyes but she’s smiling, “He wants me to climb down the vine.”

Leo seems to get excited for her, “Do you want to?”

Piper straightens her back and lifts her head, “It doesn’t matter what I want to do, it matters what I should do.”

It’s Leo’s turn to roll his eyes and he does, “Who’s this new Piper? The one who follows the rules? Remember high school where me and you ran around like wild before you learned you were a Princess. C’mon. Be a carefree teenager for one more night.”

“Percy has managed to stay loyal to me despite him and Annabeth getting closer and closer.”

At that, Leo smiles conspiratorial. “I have it on good authority that Percy and Annabeth are on a private boat ride right now, considering you gave her the night off.”

Piper bites her lip, “Really?”

“Yes.”

Piper smiles and walks back to the window. She throws down her scarf to Jason and Leo cheers. She puts her leg out the window, and grabs the vine. As she climbs down Piper felt the leaves and branches get caught in her hair. “This is so much more romantic in the movies!”

When she finally lands on the ground Jason offers her his hand. She accepts and as they run Leo calls, “I’ll cover for you! Go, Rapunzel, go!”

* * *

Jason felt content as he sat beside Piper on a blanket on the edges of the royal woods. They rode on their horses late in the night to reach a fog covered bank to relax together, the night before her wedding. 

Jason couldn’t help but repeat it to himself. The night before her wedding. This was their last night together. He looked over her face and saw how calm she looked. So different compared to how she had looked for the past month and a half. 

She smiled at him and he needs to ask, “Tell me your greatest desires.”

“Tell me a secret.”

“Isn’t that the same?”

Piper rolled her eyes at him, “Anyone can see your desires. But no one can see your heart.”

“Well then tell me something.”

“I love Golden Girls reruns, and sometimes I dream like my dreams are saturated, so colorful. Like a kaleidoscope.”

Jason smiled, his heart feels so much fuller with any information he learns about her. He’s a little embarrassed it took him so long to learn he felt this way. He repaid the favor, “I was the kind of kid that reminded the teacher we had homework.”

When he said that Piper rolled her eyes. “Of course you were.”

“Sometimes I put chocolate milk in my cereal.”

“I used to be terrified of horses.”

“I haven't danced with you since your birthday.”

“That doesn’t count. That’s a fact not a secret.”

“The secret is that I’ve been wanting to dance with you for a while. Whether I knew it or not.” 

When he said that Piper smiled and stood. She offered her hand down to him, “Then dance with me.”

Jason took her hand and then gets into a waltz position. He pulled her close to him and laid his head on hers. His hand on her back feels like they’ve been built to dance together. She laid her own hand on the back of his shoulder and pulled him even closer. 

The fog rolled across the bank as they danced and Jason couldn’t help but feel as if they were in a teen romance movie. 

Piper laughed wetly as they danced, “It’s almost as if we’re in a romcom. With the fog around us and our clandestine meetings. Or a trashy dime novel. The kind you buy as a joke.”

Jason lifted his head and smiled down at her, looking into her suspiciously shiny eyes. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Piper ducked her head beneath his chin and he felt her shoulders shake. They danced for a while longer before they were truly exhausted. 

They laid down on the bank. Jason shoved a blanket behind him and leaned on the tree. Piper rested her head on his chest and almost immediately fell asleep. Jason’s heart felt full and he soon fell into a relaxing sleep.

* * *

Piper felt calm and warm. She was dreaming of a waltz with a handsome blonde with blue eyes. When she woke up, she lifted her head and was looking into the same pair of blue eyes.

He had a scar on his upper lip that she didn’t notice until last night. When she looked so intensely at him. Those lips moved now and said, “Good morning.”

She smiled at him, conscious of her morning breath, “Good morning. We stayed out all night.”

“Yeah, we did.”

Piper sat up now and gasped, “We stayed out all night.” She felt her heart racing. “This...is the riskiest thing I’ve done since getting back to Olympus. And that’s saying something.”

Jason laughed at her, tucking her hair behind her ear. She smiled and turned her head, noticing a man in a boat on the lake. She was immediately alert and her back went rigid, “Is that a man in that boat?”

As he sighed Jason let his head fall back on the tree. “It’s probably just some fisherman.”

Piper couldn’t take her eyes off the man and she was glad she didn’t. He lifted a camera up and as she did Piper was already standing up. “With a video camera?” She turns her head towards Jason sharply, she could feel her face heating up and a scowl on her face. “That’s really low.”

Jason begins to sit up, “No! Piper I had no idea!” He jumps up and follows her as she storms off. 

Piper could feel tears gather behind her eyes and she tried to keep her voice was shaking as she responded, “It’s a real shame you didn’t get anything juicier last night. Jackass.” 

Throwing her scarf at him, Piper mounted her horse and turned away from him, finally allowing the tears to fall. 

Jason sounded distressed as he yelled up at her. “No! Piper I promise I had nothing to do with this! Piper please! That’s not my boat. Please, you have to believe me.”

Despite her tears, Piper looked into Jason’s eyes. “Fuck off, I don’t have to do anything you say. In 24 hours I’ll be married and the queen.”

She turned the house and rode away. Her shoulders shaking, and tears falling. 

* * *

An hour later Aphrodite walked into her daughter’s bedroom, seeing her buried under her comforter and at least one pillow placed over her head. “Piper? Hello?”

She walked over to the mass on the bed and sat where she assumed Piper wasn’t. Aphrodite reached out, laid her hand on the pillow over Piper’s head, and smiled. “Good morning, sweetheart. I know it’s a little early but I’ve been thinking. Things have been really pressured lately,” Aphrodite pulled her hand away when Piper pulled her head out from under the pillow. “I was wondering whether…” Aphrodite stood up when she realized it wasn’t Piper in the bed.

“Leo?!”

Leo sheepishly looked up at her, “Good morning, Your majesty.”

“What are you doing here?” Aphrodite was confused and shocked. Piper wasn’t anywhere to be seen and here was her best friend laying in her bed. 

He shrugged, “I just thought I’d…”

Footsteps were heard in the hallway and Piper walked in, in a sweatshirt and jeans, her eyes red as if she’d been crying. Aphrodite took her shocked look in, “Piper? What’s going on?” She walked over to her with her arms open. 

Piper fell into her mom’s arms as the doors were reopened. Athena walked in with Annabeth behind, looking at Piper with wide eyes. Athena looks Piper over and goes over to the tv, “Princess I think you should see this.” 

Stepping away from her mom’s embrace, Piper turned to the tv. Aphrodite watched as, before the tv even played, Piper laid on the floor. She was already crying again and Aphrodite was beginning to get concerned.

Drew Tanaka’s voice played over a video and Aphrodite’s heart sank. That could only mean one thing. On the screen there was an image of Piper’s head laying on Jason Grace’s chest on the best of a river. Sleeping. In the hours of the early morning. “After generations of boring royals who never misbehaved, Olympusfinally has a world-class scandal, proving that we should have brought in an American long ago.”

The bed behind her caught Aphrodite as her knees gave out. Piper’s shoulders shake from where she sat on the ground, Annabeth’s arm around her shoulders. Drew continued, “Will Percy Jackson still be willing to marry this bad Princess? Or will Jason Grace be our new king?”

Aphrodite straightened her back and looked at the group of people in front of her. “Me and my daughter would like a moment alone please.”

Slowly everyone left the room and once they had Aphrodite joined her daughter on the floor. Piper lifted her tear stained face and she felt her heart clench for her daughter. “So?”

The look on Piper’s face nearly broke her heart. Tears and regret played on her face, “I got played.”

Understanding dawned on the queen. “Ah. Well, the big question is, do we still have a wedding?”

* * *

Piper stood in front of Percy only half an hour later after getting dressed and washing her tear stained face. They were standing in his bedroom and she could feel herself almost cry again. She hated that she brought all this on him. This should be her problem and hers alone. But now her personal problems affect the whole country. 

“Percy, I am so,  _ so _ , sorry.” 

“Piper? Need I remind you that me and Annabeth were together last night? On my boat? Nothing happened but we still went.”

“But at least you didn’t get caught! And at least Annabeth wasn’t playing you!” Piper buried her head in her hands, feeling how tense her shoulders were.

Her hands were slowly pulled away from her face by Percy. “We can still get married. This won’t ruin us. This isn’t the biggest issues we’ve faced or that we’re going to face. Your royalty Piper.”

Piper laughed wetly, her eyes shining. “Percy...we both know we’re never going to love each other the way a husband and wife are supposed to.”

“So? We love each other as friends don’t we? We feel comfortable with each other? That’s more than plenty of husbands and wives have!”

“That’s not exactly encouraging Percy.”

“Piper, you chose me and I accepted. And I never back out on my word. And you want to be queen I can tell. You deserve to be queen. So we’ll go up there and get married. In a church of your mother’s choosing and everything. And you’re going to make an amazing queen.”

She began to cry again and stepped into Percy’s arms. He held her as she cried in gratitude and relief. “Thank you Percy. You’re the best man I’ve ever met.” 

* * *

Piper took a long shower when she woke up the next morning. The morning of her wedding. When she walked out of the bathroom in her robe Annabeth was waiting for her. “You’re running late Princess.”

Piper sighed, “Mother says the queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early.”

Annabeth smiled at her and it felt mischievous, “A man I’ve never met before asked to stay in your closet. I let him.”

As she narrowed her eyes Piper studied her, “What are you playing at Annabeth?” She moved past her and into the closet, seeing her dad sitting on one of her chairs. 

“Now  _ this _ is what I call a closet.” 

“Dad!” Piper rushed at him and he stood up, catching her as she jumped into his arms. 

“Oh baby I’m so happy I get to be here. I can’t believe you’re marrying  _ Percy _ .” 

Piper laughed and saw Annabeth leave to give them privacy out of the corner of her eye. She could hardly notice anything else she was so happy to see her dad here. With everything happening she had almost forgotten she would see him soon. “Me either.”

Tristan set her down and took a step back, looking her over. “You’re so grown up. I can’t believe I’m walking you down the aisle today.”

There was a knock on the door but Piper ignored it entirely, happy to be with her dad. “Me either!”

“How are you feeling? You look beautiful.”

Before Piper got a chance to answer I man she recognized walked in through her bedroom door, “Paolo is back to turn a caterpillar into a butterfly!”

Piper’s smile was strained when she looked at the man, “Paolo.” She extended her hand. She hadn’t forgotten when this man had spilled her secrets to the press. 

He took her hand in his and kissed it, “Principessa.”

“Paolo, you remember my father, Tristan.”

“Yes, yes, beautiful hair. But you must get out now,” he put his hand on her father’s arm,”because we have work to do.”

* * *

An hour later Piper was sitting in a stylist chair, and Paolo had announced his work finished. He gave some dramatic speech about what he had done for her five years ago and she completely ignored him. Finally, “You may look now Princessa!” 

His assistants, in tandem, announced, “A wedding look fit for a princess!” They spun her chair around and she was faced with something truly horrific.

Her hair had been pulled back into a bun but somehow there were knots of hair on the top of her head, shaped as if they were antlers. Not even attempting to hide her disgust Piper said, “What the fuck? I look like a moose.” They better not make her wear this hairstyle down the aisle. 

Paolo sensed her panic, “Yes, but a very cute moose. Make all the boy mooses go ‘Whaah!’” He laughed obnoxiously

Piper was not amused, “I have antlers.” The way she turned and stared him down must have scared Paolo into action because soon enough her hair was being fixed.

Twenty minutes later and Piper’s heartbeat hadn’t calmed down at all. There was no way that he did anything normal, and the antlers were making her anxious. Paolo presented her with a mirror and her fears were confirmed. There were little curls piled on top of her head in a poorly shaped bun, “And now I look like a poodle.” She looked at him and Piper couldn’t help but wish that her mom had hired a person who had actually worked with a non-white person’s hair before. Ever. 

“Okay, I’ll fix it! Sit up!” Paolo moved back behind her to begin fixing it and Piper took a deep breath. 

* * *

Jason watched as his uncle got ready for the wedding, “You go on. I think it would be better if I didn't go to the wedding.”

Zeus sat in front of his nephew, “My boy, don’t give up so easily. Come to the church. Sweep her off her feet. In a week or two she’ll be yours.”

Jason rolled his eyes, he was getting really tired of his uncle acting like a child over this. “The game is over, Zeus. She’s going to marry Percy.”

“Well I suppose you’re right. This is a disaster in the making,” Zeus stood up and walked away from Jason. “Wouldn’t want to miss a moment of it.”

Once again rolling his eyes Jason settled into the couch. His uncle was going to make a fool of himself and their family. That, Jason was going to be sorry he missed. 

In order to avoid his own feelings, Jason decided to take a nap. He had fallen into a deep sleep when he was awoken by his maid Gretchen, “Psst, sir!”

He sat straight up and looked over at her, where she was crouched at the edge of the couch. “I don’t mean to talk out of turn, but there’s something you must know.” She stood all the way up, so Jason did as well. “Your uncle called Drew and set you up with that video.”

Jason felt himself tense. Piper hated him and thought him a player and manipulator because of something his uncle did. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? I should have known.”

“He’s up to something. He was much too delighted that you aren’t going to that wedding.”

“I have to get to that church.”

“Yes, yes, but how? Everything with two wheels is already rented for the wedding.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll run.”

Gretchen shakes her head, “No. No, it’s too far. No! You’ll take the bike.”

At this point Jason already had his jacket on and ready to walk out the door. Gretchen grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the middle of the room. “What bike, Gretchen? We don’t have a bike.”

“Your grandfather’s bike.” She pointed at the old bike with a large front wheel displayed on the wall. Jason stared at it and made his decision. He did need to get there and fast. 

Less than twenty minutes later he saw himself pedaling towards Princess Piper’s wedding. 

Jason was sweating through at least his button down, if not his suit jacket, when he passed a sheep farm. Standing in the field there was a man sitting on a horse, watching his sheep. 

He jumped off his bike, tripping a little with his glasses slipping off his face. “Sir! Sir! May I borrow your horse?”

The man, talking on his cell phone dismounts as he talks, “Oh! He needs my horse!”

“My bike is yours.”

“How am I supposed to herd sheep with a bike?”

Quite frankly, Jason didn’t care right now. He would pay the man back later. He needed to get to this wedding. 


	7. Chapter 7

The church was covered in white flowers and there was a baby blue carpet covering the walkway between pews. The processional began playing and bridesmaids dressed in blue dresses walked down the aisle. Leo leading the pack in a baby blue suit. 

Drew Tanaka was speaking into her recorder as she watched the wedding, “Infamous American engineer, Leo Valdez, the man of honor, looks quite dashing in his blue suit.” He carried his bouquet confidently and smiled brightly, if not a little tensely at all the attention. 

The crowd “aw”-ed appropriately at who was escorted down the aisle next. “And here comes little Nico di Angelo, Duke Percy’s little cousin.”

The announcements continued as the door leading into the sanctuary was cracked open and Princess Piper McLean stuck her head out right by Ares. She whispered, “Hey Ares?”

“Hmm?”

“I just wanted to say before I do this, I’m sorry you’re retiring.”

Ares was confused. He knew he hadn’t told anyone that would tell Piper, “How did you know that?”

“The maids know everything.”

“Well, sometimes reason can’t explains things.”

“Are you doing this because you’re in love with my mom?”

“Love never makes sense.”

That makes Piper pause, “You’re preaching to the choir.”

She begins to close the door but Ares stops her, “Princess? Then you should know that Jason didn’t set you up at the lake.”

Piper’s head was spinning. She was getting married to someone she didn’t love because she thought the man she did love betrayed her. “You’re sure?”

“The maids know everything.”

Athena walked up to Ares and the princess talking, “We’re ready whenever she is.”

* * *

Piper had no idea how she had managed to get herself this far without collapsing, the stress of the day was taking its toll and she still hadn’t processed what she just learned. But the show must go on. 

She was going to walk down the aisle to marry a man she didn’t love in a romantic way while the man she did love wasn’t here. Annabeth had checked for her. 

The double doors swung open and Piper took a deep breath. There was no one escorting her, she was taking herself. Her dress wasn’t long enough to need train carriers and so she was completely alone. And that’s how she felt. It looked as if the aisle stretched on for miles and miles. 

At the end of it stood Percy in his navy uniform. He looked calm and polished, his usually unruly hair combed down. Piper was forcing a smile but the closer she got the more it fell. Her stomach was in knots and she thought she might honestly get sick. She couldn’t do this to Percy. She couldn’t do this to herself. 

One-third of the way down the aisle she stopped. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t. “I…” she laughed wetly, “I’m going to need a minute or two.” 

Piper turned to a random man sitting down in a pew and handed him her massive bouquet of blue and white flowers. She barely heard his, “Thank you, Your Highness.” 

As the crowd reacted Piper gathered her skirts so she could better run back towards the double doors. They were swung open by guards and she ran all the way out the second set, and outside. 

This proved to be a bad decision because as soon as she got out the doors cameras were snapping and reporters were screaming. “Princess Piper! Princess Piper.” She couldn’t tell the voices apart and it was panicking her further. 

Her training kicked in and she forced a smile as she ran around the church, to the porch on the back. Piper took gulping breaths and tried to steady herself. From out back she heard someone in the crowd yelling, “Long live the queen!” and she knew her mother had followed her out here. 

Soon enough her mother was approaching her, “Oh, my sweet girl. Piper you must stand up.”

She hadn’t even realized she had nearly fallen to her knees, she jumped up as soon as her mom said it. “No, Mom, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I-I just need a minute.”

Aphrodite began to shake her head, “No.”

“I can do this.”

“No.”

“I can’t do this!” Piper yelled. She was panicking and she hated it. She couldn’t spend her entire life filled with regret.

“I know my darling. Listen to me. I made my choice, duty to my country over love. It’s what I’ve always done it seems.”

Out of the corner of her eye Piper saw Ares approach, but she wasn’t going to interrupt and tell her mom. 

“It was drummed into me my whole life. Now I’ve lost the only man I ever really loved. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Make you own, and trust me there’ll be plenty of them. Now, you can go back into that church and get married, or you can walk away. Whatever you do, use your heart to decide.”

Tears came to Piper’s eyes but she didn’t let them fall. She was going to use her heart and make the right decision. For her and her country.

* * *

Piper made her way down the aisle for the second time that day. She didn’t hesitate the second time. The walk seemed to last seconds instead of hours like it did earlier. 

Percy met her at the bottom of the stairs and offered her his arm, she took it and they walked together. But once they reached the top she stopped him, “Percy.” He turned to face her and understanding was already appearing on his face, “We don’t love each other. We both know we love someone else.”

“Yes, we do,” Percy turned to look at Annabeth who was standing with her mom in the audience. 

Piper held the ring up for Percy to see, “Neither of us deserve to live wanting for the rest of our lives.”

Percy accepted the ring back, “Thank you, Piper. I would’ve done this anyway and we both would have regretted it.” He kissed her on the forehead and moved to take a seat in the audience, next to Sally.

Taking a deep breath to study herself, Piper approached the podium in the church. She had work to do. 

“Welcome. A few moments ago I realized the only reason I was getting married was because of a law, and that didn’t seem like a good enough reason,” she tried to make eye contact with the members of Parliament in the audience, “so I won’t be getting married today.” 

Her voice carried conviction. There was confidence backing her words, and she knew this was what ruling a country was. Not who she was married to, or her ability to follow archaic laws. “My mom has ruled without a man at her side for quite some time, and quite frankly she’s killing it. So as the daughter of Queen Aphrodite, I ask the members of Parliament to think about your daughters.”

At this point Piper was making things up. But she knew how to appeal to people’s emotions. Her mom once referred to it as charmspeak - all queens had to be good at it. “Think about your nieces, sisters, and granddaughters, and ask yourselves, would you make them do what you’re trying to make me do? I believe I will be a great queen. I understand Olympusto be a great land that combines the beauty of the past with the hope of the future.” 

Piper took a deep breath, this part needs to be perfect, “I believe that I can rule Olympus. I love Olympus. Would I be up here in a wedding dress if I didn’t?” The audience laughed and Piper smiled. She had them. “I stand here, ready to take my place as your queen, without a husband.” 

When she finished her mic drop moment Piper stared down at Lord Zeus, as if daring him to challenge her. He rose to the bait, “Every time this charming young lady opens her mouth, she challenges our age old traditions. The law clearly states that an unmarried woman can not be queen. Fortunately, there is another heir.”

The double doors had been left open from her entrance so no one noticed that Jason walked through the doors. Until he spoke. His hair was sweaty even from here and his clothes were rumpled but he had never looked so good to Piper. “No, there is not.” 

The entire crowd snapped their heads around to look at him. Piper felt like she was going to cry once again. Jason spoke again, “I decline. I refuse to be king. Ladies and gentlemen, it is Princess Piper who should have the crown. She’s bright and caring, but more importantly she has a vision, one that will take Olympusforward, and if the Parliament were as intelligent as I think they are, they would name her queen. Listen to her.” 

Jason made eye contact with Piper now and she smiled, unabashedly. “She’ll lead us into the 21st century. And besides, just think how lovely she’ll look on our postage stamp.”

The audience laughed as Jason and Piper stared at each other, smiling. Zeus was not nearly as please, “Lovely on a postage stamp?! You, my boy, would look lovely on a postage stamp!” Jason turned and walked out the doors. “Don’t walk away from me!” Zeus stormed after Jason, running out of the church. 

Ares quickly had the doors closed and Piper smiled at the gesture.

* * *

Jason left the sanctuary feeling like he actually managed to do something. The parliament would still have to vote and allow her to become queen but he had done his part. He wasn’t falling for his uncles pathetic tricks anymore. 

He could hear Zeus following after him and yelling, “You have a duty! To your country! To your father! Jason! _ Jason! _”

Reluctantly Jason stopped, he can’t flat out run away from his uncle as much as he wished he could. Zeus couldn’t seem to sense this as he began to talk, “Jason, you can’t give all of this up just for some-some girl! Now, we can-”

Zeus was shaking in rage but Jason doesn’t give a shit. All Zeus wanted to do was control him. “Enough, Uncle. We’re finished.”

Jason knew his shoulders were tense but he was proud of himself for standing his ground. He left the church and left his uncle standing there, shocked.

* * *

Back inside the sanctuary different members of parliament were yelling at each other. All about Piper’s question. The Prime Minister Parliament approached Piper and coughed underneath his breath, “Make a motion.”

Piper looked at him for a second before she connected the dots, “Prime Minister.”

He looked at her like he hadn’t suggested it, “Yes, Princess?”

“I move to abolish the marriage law as it applies to present and future queens of Olympus. Will anyone second my motion?”

The Prime Minister nodded at what she said, “Just keep eye contact with them. Stare them down.”

Piper did as he said. She looked out into the audience and singled out the ones she thought most likely to cave. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife and Piper wished someone would. 

Thankfully, someone did. The oldest member of Parliament stood in the crowd, “Ahem. I second the motion.” The entire crowd looked shocked and Piper carefully schooled her own facial expression. “It’s time we had a new tradition. I like change.”

The Prime Minister smiled and nodded, “All those in favor of abolishing she marriage rule, please say ‘Aye’.”

A member stood and said, “Aye.” Then another one. And another one. Then a group of them stood all at once and Piper felt relief finally wash over her. Her body had been tense all day and this was the first time she’d had hope. 

Prime Minister announced, “The ‘Aye’s have it!”

The old man loudly said, “Congratulations Princess! If I may say so myself, you rule!”

The entire room laughed, and Piper joined them. Even if hers was slightly hysterical. Piper looked around. She was so confused by what to do. All she wanted to do was run into her mother’s arms. 

Then she had an idea, she motioned forward a guard and asked if she could borrow his earpiece. He, of course, gave it to her. 

“Athena? Will you give your earpiece to Mom?”

From the stage she watched as the Queen’s advisor did so. The crowd was not talking about what just happened, completely ignoring her. “Mom, just because I didn’t get my fairytale ending doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.” 

Even from this distant Piper could tell her mom was rattled. But that’s kind of what she wanted to do. Shock her into action. She deserved to be happy and so did Ares. It was her turn to sit back and watch.

* * *

Aphrodite took a deep breath, trying to heed her daughter’s words. Piper was right, maybe she could have a fairytale ending. On stage, Piper was beaming at her and Aphrodite smiled back. Aphrodite was no longer the queen, she could do what she wanted. 

She turned to Ares, “Ares…”

He stepped in front of her, “Your Majesty.”

“It would be a shame if this beautiful wedding went to waste, wouldn’t it?”

“What are you saying?”

Aphrodite reached out and took Ares’ hand, “Is it too late for me to ask you to accept my hand in marriage?”

Ares graced her with a rare smile, “Well I thought you’d never ask.” He turned to the guard behind him, the one who’s eyes she’d never seen, “Shades, you’re in charge now.” He handed over his hat and earpiece and offered Aphrodite his arm. 

Piper clapped in excitement on stage and everyone turned who had been focused on the stage, waiting for Piper to speak, to the back of the church. They saw for the first time their queen and the head of her royal guard about to walk down the aisle. 

As they made their way Aphrodite used the loud voice people spoke about often to make her own wedding announcement, “I know it’s a little last minute, but you were all dressed!”

The guests laughed awkwardly, as if they didn’t know if they were allowed to. Aphrodite’s blue dress brushed against her ankles and she felt like she was in a fairytale. For the first time in a long time. She squeezed Ares’ elbow and he looked at her as they walked, and his usual tense face was serene. 

They found their way to the stage and Piper quickly took her spot as her mother’s bridesmaid. She was still beaming. Aphrodite spoke first, “Lord Archbishop, I would like to take this man as my husband, if you please.” 

The Archbishop looked heavenward and then looked back to the queen, “Finally.”

Ares and Aphrodite shared a slightly shocked look before he continued, this time addressing the audience, “We have come together for a different wedding. Do you have rings?”

Reaching into his pockets, Ares gives Aphrodite another smile, “I do.”

She gasped and felt tears well in her eyes. This was really happening. She held out her hand and Ares slipped it on her, “And with this ring I thee, finally, wed.”

He handed her a ring for him and she took it, slipping it on to his finger, “And with this ring I thee, finally, wed.”

They held hands as the Archbishop smiled, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Music seemed to swell out of nowhere and Aphrodite leaned forward to gently place her lips on Ares’s. It was a moment that was a long time coming, and she felt as if she never wanted to stop. The crowd cheered and they smiled into the kiss. Behind her, Piper cheered and Aphrodite reluctantly pulled away. This definitely wasn’t proper. 

Aphrodite was once again a married woman, and she felt as if she’d never stop smiling. Her and Ares joined arms and they faced the audience, and their new life together.

* * *

Piper was once again worried as the guard set the tip of her arrow on fire. The sky was dark and members of Parliament and reporters stood around her, watching the ancient Olympian tradition. Piper would try to think of what Jason taught her, but all that did was make her blush. 

Her mom announced, “The ceremonial shooting of the flaming arrow through the coronation ring.” Piper could feel the tension in the audience, she had a history of accidentally shooting things she didn’t mean to.

She took a deep breath and followed Jason’s directions. Shoulder down, touch the edge of your mouth. She shot, and it was a success. The crowd seemed to breathe as she did. The ring was on fire and so was her confidence. 

She turned and faced the audience with a perfect princess wave and wide smile. But when she turned back around she gave a personal smile to Leo and he gave her a thumbs up. 

Turning back to the audience Piper began to look for Jason. But she couldn’t see him. She looked at each individual person and he wasn’t in sight. The hope she had felt was failing just a little bit, but she had bigger issues to worry about. Like becoming the queen of an entire country in a week. 

Now, shooting an arrow through a ring seemed like a senseless achievement. She had so much more work to do.

* * *

Piper was sitting on a throne that was going to be hers soon. The throne room was large and empty except for her. With the doors open she could hear what Drew Tanaka was saying on the news. 

“Good morning. It’s been almost a week since the almost-wedding, and busy workers are setting up for Olympus' big day, the coronation of a new queen.”

The words did nothing to settle Piper’s heart or stomach. Today, she became the queen of an entire country. It felt absolutely insane. Drew was still talking, “Somewhere in the palace, Princess Piper is getting ready for the ceremony that will change her life forever.”

That jarred Piper out of her trance like state, she was still in her robe, no makeup and no real clothes on. She looked down at her cat, who now had his own cushion in the throne room, “So what do you say, Festus? You think I’ll make a good queen?”

Surprisingly she heard a voice come from the back doors of the throne room, “Indeed you will.” Piper recognized it. Jason. She sat up and simply stared at him. “If I may be so bold, I would like an audience with Your Highness.”

Oh, so this was the game they’re playing. “Um, what is your dilemma, young man?” 

Jason moved to stand in front of her throne, as if he was a petitioner, “_ You _ are, Your Highness.” He moved to get down on one knee, “I am in love with the queen-to-be, and I am inquiring if she loves me, too.” 

Piper smiled and her heart felt full. But she couldn’t resist teasing him, “Do you have a chicken for my table?”

He smiled up at her and he looked like a total goof, Piper was totally in love with him, “No, my kitchen is out of chickens.”

“Oh, well…” Piper acted as if she had to think about it before she launched herself off of the throne. Jason stood up off the ground and caught her as she jumped up to hug him. 

He held her tightly and her feet were barely touching the ground. Piper buried her head in his shoulder and allowed her own to shake. The emotions she had been feeling all came to the surface and she let a few tears slip. Jason slowly released her and she took a step back, so she could look him in the face. 

“Piper,” Jason looked at her with so much love she couldn’t help but stand on her toes and press another kiss against his lips. She wrapped her arms behind his neck and pulled him closer. As the kiss deepened her foot lifted at the knee. 

A true foot lift kiss.

* * *

A section of the Royal Army entered the ballroom, two snares signalling their arrival. The captain shouted marching commands at the crowd watched on. Percy and Annabeth stood arm-in-arm, Athena stood at a distance, looking highly aggravated. 

As the company came to a halt, guarding the sides of the ballroom, the new head of Royal Guard spoke into his earpiece, “The sparrow is taking off.”

Athena reached for her own earpiece and responded, “The eagle is flying for the final time.”

A French horn began to be played and Aphrodite entered from one side of the balcony, in a flowing golden dress. On the opposite side Piper entered in dark purple dress with a cape attached. They faced each other and smiled, Piper nervously and Aphrodite comfortingly. 

They walked forwardly slowly, then turned to face the crowd who was watching. Keeping pace with each other they descended the steps, headed towards the throne in the center of the room. The Lord Archbishop was waiting for them there. When they reached the throne he offered his hand and Piper accepted it.

Her heart was racing, in both anxiety and excitement. Today she would be crowned, and Olympuswas hers to rule. Piper stood in front of the throne for a second and took a deep breath, then turned, swung her cape, and sat down. 

Aphrodite stood on the right side of the stand the throne was on, with her crown on her head. Piper was handed the ruler scepter and a golden orb. 

In the audience Jason muttered to Ares, “She looks beautiful.”

Ares smiled down at the young man, thinking of ways to ruin him if he hurts Piper again, “They both do.”

The Archbishop turned to Aphrodite and removed the crown, he held it up to the audience, letting them view it. The Prime Minister stood to Piper’s left and began the ceremony, “Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of Olympus according to the statues in Parliament agreed upon and the respective laws and customs of the same?” As he spoke the crown was transferred from Aphrodite’s head to Piper’s. 

Almost as if he it held some kind of power, purpose washed over Piper as soon as the crown was placed on her head. The Prime Minister continued to speak, “Will you, in your power, cause law and justice and mercy to be executed in all judgments?”

Piper turned to her mom for reassurance as she spoke the words, “I solemnly promise so to do.”

She stood and faced the crowd, her face a slight smirk. She knew it would be, because the thing she had been training for since she was 16 was finally happening. A man began singing the Olympian national anthem and her smirk turned into a smile. She looked over the crowd and her eyes fell on Leo. 

Leo, who had stood by her side for years and years. Her best friend. And he flew all the way to Olympusto support her marrying a person she hadn’t seen since she was 12. Her genius engineer friend. 

Then her eyes fell to Percy and Annabeth. They were clearly so in love. Her arm was tucked under his, and Percy was smiling at Piper. She was so glad she wasn’t married to him. No offense. But they were both happier. Much happier. 

Her eyes landed on Jason. Her smile widened at the intensity in his gaze. She may be a literal queen, but that look would have made her feel like one either way. The way he felt about her was palpable in the room. It made her feel so powerful. 

Guards had lined both sides of the path from the throne to the door. The captain made a command and they pulled their swords, the tips meeting in the middle. She made her way down the path, being led out by the Olympian national anthem. 

Piper felt like she had been crying a lot recently, but more tears welled in her eyes. The entire room was singing now and contentment settled over Piper. She loved her people and her country. 

The Prime Minister made his final announcement of the ceremony, “Piper Aphrodite McLean Venus, _ Queen _ of Olympus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> persephonerights: we're at the end!! AHHH!! we spent a long time writing and I'm so happy we've finally posted it all <3

**Author's Note:**

> persephonerights: i really hope you enjoyed it!! please comment and leave kudos! also follow me on tumblr if you want @persephonerights


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